Life Unexpectedly Changes
by Ashlyn Braere
Summary: The wedding reception was larger than she had wanted it to be. But that was to be expected considering it was for Haruhi. Most of the men had at one time or another wished they were the one to stand as her groom, but Mori was the one to stand there. That was because he was the one who had found out her secret, the one who helped her, and the one who she fell in love with.
1. Chapter 1

The wedding reception was larger than she had wanted it to be. But that was to be expected considering it was for Haruhi and that the Host Club had planned it. She got her wish for a small, quiet ceremony, but she had to give in to the demands from the men to plan her reception. Most of the men had at one time or another wished they were the one to stand as her groom, but Morinozuka Takashi was the one to stand there. That was because he was the one who had found out her secret, the one who helped her, and most importantly, the one who she fell in love with.

… _Four months ago …_

"Haruhi! Congratulations! I'm so proud of you that you got valedictorian. And your speech was awe-inspiring. Just think, even years from now, everyone who had the privilege of hearing it will remember it in their times of trial and take heart."

While Haruhi had come to expect a certain amount of excess from Tamaki and was usually able to ignore his embarrassing antics, this time, she couldn't stop her embarrassment from showing. With the excitement of the last of them graduating, Tamaki was more than a bit hyper. She felt a little better since the rest of the original Host Club were standing with her. They inadvertently provided a bit of screening between her and the rest of the crowd. But even if the other graduating students and their families couldn't see her red face, that wasn't the case for her friends.

"Don't you think you're going overboard, Tono?" Kaoru asked, noticing her discomfort.

Hikaru quickly picked up his twin's cue but wasn't as tactful. "Yeah, do you really think anyone's going to remember a two minute speech during the rest of the excitement of graduating?" He seemed to realize how it sounded and tried to recover. "No offense, Haruhi. It was a great speech and all, but no one ever really remembers these things as anything other than a bunch of people sitting with you while you wait to get a piece of paper that says you graduated. And afterwards, all the presents you get from your family."

It was a bad recovery. Haruhi could only think sourly, _Gee, thanks, Hikaru_.

Honey seemed to have picked up on her irritation and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of afterwards, are we still heading out for Hikaru and Kaoru's place in a little bit?"

Since it was their graduation, Hikaru and Kaoru's mother suggested they have an extended weekend party to celebrate. She offered their vacation house in the Karuizawa area. It was going to be the last time they'd have a chance for everyone to get together for a trip easily. While Hikaru and Kaoru were still going to be nearby, they had decided that Ouran University wouldn't be the best school for them. They had been accepted to one that had a fantastic fashion department. Unfortunately, it had a slightly different vacation schedule and she would no longer see them every day. However, she knew that things change and life moves on but that no matter what, they'd stay friends.

Haruhi turned to look at Kyouya for the answer to Honey's question out of reflex. _Well, he IS the master planner for everyone,_ she told herself when she briefly wondered why. But she caught him watching her just as he was pushing up his glasses. He looked down at his tablet that he had upgraded to from his notebook since starting college, seemingly to verify information.

Lately, she noticed that he had been paying a little more attention to her, standing a little closer, than normal. Granted, they don't see each other as much since he and Tamaki graduated, but when everyone gets together, he has been acting just a little bit out of the ordinary. She tried shrugging it off, telling herself it was just her imagination, but she couldn't help but be just a little more aware of him now. She wasn't quite comfortable with it, but she figured he had something bothering him and might have been unconsciously seeking her out for some kind of reassurance. Although, why he would seek her out and not Tamaki, she didn't know. Trying to figure it out usually gave her a headache, so she tried to keep the question out of her mind.

Kyouya cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention and pulling Haruhi out of her thoughts. "Yes, if we want to get there before dark, we should be leaving within the hour. I recommend everyone take the opportunity to say goodbye to their families now." With that, he raised an eyebrow to Tamaki.

Tamaki sobered only a bit, and with a cry of "Yes, of course," he bustled off to find his father and grandmother, who were there due to their involvement with the school.

Haruhi quickly left to find her father. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hikaru and Kaoru weaving through the crowd. She wondered if they knew they were being followed by the rest of the crew.

Haruhi was glad that Tamaki was finally acknowledged as the Suou heir, even if his grandmother still had reservations about him. He had started working with his father a few afternoons a week, as his classes allowed, and from what he's told her, he might even be starting a small project of his own soon. Haruhi hoped he'd do well. She really wanted all of her friends to succeed, but he and Kyouya had it the hardest. Tamaki still had to prove to the rest of the company that he wasn't an idiot and that his birth wouldn't bring shame to the Suous' corporation. Kyouya still had to prove to his father that he was best choice to take over the Ootori Empire.

She reached her father, finally, and she wasn't surprised when he pulled her into a joyful hug. He had been doing that every chance he got for the last several days.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you? Valedictorian at Ouran High School!" he asked.

Haruhi smiled into his shoulder. "About three hundred times, so far."

"Well, I am," he chuckled out. Ranka pulled back and looked down at her with a soft smile. "Your mother would be, too."

This, too, wasn't the first time he said that, but it still brought a lump to her throat. "Thanks, Dad." Haruhi gave a sigh and changed the subject. If they kept on it, she'd end up crying, and she didn't want to do that in public. "So, Dad, are you sure you don't mind me disappearing so quickly today? I'm sure I can talk the guys into letting me come a day later, if you want. We're going to be gone for almost five days, so I don't think they'd mind too much."

Ranka beamed at her. "No, honey! Go enjoy yourself! I'll be fine." He paused for a second and then continued a little more quietly, "I know I've said this before, but just remember, you and those boys are growing up. You're not kids, anymore. So please, just remember to act like the responsible person I know you are."

Haruhi sighed again. Apparently, this was a day for repeating himself. She didn't understand why he was emphasizing them growing up, though. She knew it. Hell, she saw it every time she saw the older guys, again. They acted just that little bit more adult than last time, even if it was a little harder to tell with Kyouya or Mori. They always had been mature.

But she once again gave her father the reassurance he asked for. "Yes, Dad. I know we're growing up. Hell, Tamaki-senpai, especially, has worked so hard these past years to live up to his goals. It's hard for me to make the comparison between now and when I first met him. But that's true for all of them. They've all grown up so much in the past three years. I can see it every time we get together. I feel so privileged to see it in them. I just hope that I've matured just as much as they have. I want to be someone that they can be proud of, someone that you and Mom can be proud of. I know that you keep telling me you are, but I want to keep it, Dad. I need to keep growing for that to happen. It's the same for them. So, yes, I know that we're not kids anymore, and honestly, we do try to act that way."

Suddenly, Honey ran up behind Haruhi and spun around with her in his arms, yelling. "Yay! It's almost time to go!"

Haruhi groaned as her feet came back to earth. "Well, usually we act that way."

Ranka just giggled at the spectacle. "I _do_ want you to have fun this weekend, dear. And I want _lots_ of pictures."

"I will make sure you get them, Ranka-san."

Haruhi scowled at Kyouya who had managed to sneak up behind her. She noticed that everyone bar Tamaki had joined her father and her.

Kaoru leaned on his brother's shoulder and said, "So, are we ready to go as soon as Tamaki-senpai gets here?"

Honey nodded his head as he bounced his heels a little, a wide grin on his face. "Uh huh! I can't wait to go! It's been too long since we've gone on a trip together."

Haruhi smiled at Honey. She knew that he was more mature than he was showing right then, actually a lot more mature, but she still enjoyed his enthusiasm.

However, it was Hikaru who responded to Honey. "Yeah, no kidding. Ever since Tamaki-senpai managed to get on his grandmother's good side, we haven't done anything fun."

Haruhi butted in. "Now, that's not true. We have fun when we meet up on the weekends. Or at least I do." The last she said quietly, with no little embarrassment. She hoped that she wasn't setting herself up for more 'pick on Haruhi's poorness'. Although, she had to be fair and say they have gotten a lot better about their assumptions about the 'Commoner' lifestyle. Well, most of them. Tamaki still had his moments of stupidity, but even he was better than he used to be three years ago.

However, this time, the twins decided it was 'aw, Haruhi's being cute again'. They hugged her from each side, squeezing her just a bit too tight.

She managed to squawk out, "Guys! Air!" Then she felt first one, then the other release her. As she was getting her breath back, she noticed that Mori was right next to her. She guessed that he had stepped in to help her out. She almost blushed. He usually waited until she asked before helping her. This time he stepped in of his own accord.

Recently, she realized that she was interested in Mori - for more than friendship. But she didn't know how to act on it. Or even if she wanted to. She wasn't sure just how deep her feelings for him went or if he was interested in her. She just didn't want to jeopardize their friendship. She really did enjoy hanging out with him. So, she tried to act as she normally would. Unfortunately, she did a lot of second-guessing when she was alone.

Haruhi shook herself out of her reverie. She needed to stay in the here and now, especially with her father around. He was a little too sharp, sometimes, for her liking. If he figured out she had a crush, he wouldn't give her any peace about it.

Everyone stood around chatting while waiting for Tamaki to show up. Haruhi couldn't help but notice when Kyouya's phone chimed since he was standing at her side, _again_.

He pulled it out, looked at it, and sighed. Everyone noticed and stopped talking to look at him. "Tamaki couldn't find us and decided to wait at the cars for us."

Hikaru snorted, trying somewhat to hold in the laughter at their friend's expense. Kaoru had better control, but his amusement still showed. Kyouya looked at them a little sourly. Haruhi could practically read their minds, though, since it was the same thought she had. It wasn't that Tamaki couldn't find them; it was that he couldn't find himself and was somehow lucky enough to make it to the parking lot. She couldn't figure out how he could still sometimes get lost on the same grounds that he spent so many years on. Haruhi could respect a lot about him, but she still winced inside at his bouts of idiocy.

Honey just started jumping around, saying, "Yay! It's time to go!"

Mori stood placidly by, watching his cousin, but Haruhi noticed his eyes crinkle a bit in humor and a small smile form. He may not be showing it currently, but ever since he started college, he had been more outgoing. Haruhi had asked once about that. He said that his mentor had given him some advice. Lawyers were expected to be eloquent, and since nothing comes without practice, he had been trying to speak more. She had been awed by the diligence he put into everything, even down to something as small as that. But today, he was quiet. She guessed there was just too much going on today for him to be comfortable enough to practice.

Everyone said goodbye to Ranka and met up with Tamaki at the cars. Haruhi got into the car with Honey and Mori without much fuss. She had already argued with Tamaki and the twins about which car she would ride in. Her argument, one that Mori and Honey agreed with, was that it would give her time to talk with Mori about college since she would be taking the same classes he did for the pre-law major. She felt lucky to already have an upperclassman she could turn to if needed. She knew the caliber of his intelligence, and the strength of his willingness to help. Not that she felt she'd ever really _need_ his help, but it was a comfort knowing it would be there if she needed it. And her argument wasn't just an excuse to spend time with Mori, as they had talked the entire ride up about what she could expect and what he enjoyed in the department. When she arrived, she felt relaxed and energized, something she rarely felt after spending a large amount of time with the Host Club. She actually felt excited about the weekend.

They ended up being the last ones to arrive because Honey insisted on stopping by a cute bakery they saw on the way. He tried a few of their pastries and ended up buying a number of different ones for everyone to eat for dessert. There were more than enough for everyone, but Mori and Haruhi knew that they wouldn't get stale as Honey would most likely snack for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Because of the pastries, Mori and Honey ended up going straight to the kitchen to put them away, while Haruhi went on to find the rest of the guys.

She wandered down the main hallway and could hear voices coming from a room at the end. As she got closer, she could hear what they were talking about. Apparently, the twins had sent a selection of clothes for her to wear. That didn't really surprise her. She figured the twins and Tamaki had gotten together to try to 'get her to relax', only their way. However, what did surprise her was overhearing Kyouya convincing them not to. He was sticking up for her.

"Gentlemen, I'd like to make a suggestion. Since this vacation is meant for everyone to relax and have fun, we should allow Haruhi to dress as she'd like. She wouldn't be as relaxed or have as much fun if she were forced into clothes she felt uncomfortable in. Allow her to choose what she wants, either from the ones you brought or her own."

She heard the others reluctantly agree. So, while they did leave optional clothing in her room, they didn't mention it when she greeted them. For once, they weren't going to try to play dress up with Haruhi, and she was grateful to Kyouya. She thought that she'd at least look at what the guys brought for her and see if there was something that she could wear to say 'thank you' for bringing her out here.

With how it's starting, Haruhi thought that this would probably be one of the best vacations she's had with everyone.

…

Haruhi shrieked with horror as she flew through the air. She couldn't believe that Honey, of all people, was the one who would do this to her. For no reason. One minute she was sitting under a tree by the lakeside with Mori, Honey, and Kyouya, engrossed in one of the text books Mori lent her from his freshman year; the next she found herself in this predicament. Her landing gave her quite a surprise and she emitted an even louder shriek. She stood up from the soft but cold landing, her shorts and t-shirt soaking wet.

"Honey-senpai!" Haruhi shouted, still in shock.

Most of the guys were rolling on the grass, holding their sides from laughter, but even the normally quiet ones were cracking up.

Hikaru, from where he, Kaoru, and Tamaki had been kicking a ball around, managed to get enough breath to say, "Honey-senpai! That was awesome!"

Honey was also shrieking, but from laughter. "I'm sorry, Haru-chan! I couldn't resist!

The corners of Haruhi's lips started to turn up as she thought about how it must have looked. And a thought suddenly came to mind of how she might be able to get even.

"That's okay, Honey-senpai. I'll eventually forgive you." She managed to get a dejected look on her face and even gave a small sigh. She wondered if she was playing it up too much.

But Honey fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. The smile melted off his face, his eyes filled with tears, and his lower lip started to wobble. "But… but… it was supposed to be funny." And then he started bawling and saying how sorry he was. Mori had stopped laughing but his lips were twitching as he looked down at Honey.

But Haruhi now felt bad about making him upset. She hoped he wouldn't be for long. She held her arms out to him. "No, Honey-senpai. I'm sorry. It was funny. I didn't mean to upset you."

And he ran right into her arms not thinking that she was soaking wet and still knee deep in the water. It was set up perfectly and she couldn't resist. She took several steps back as if he had run into her too hard and fell backwards into the water, taking Honey with her.

Now it was his turn to shriek and her turn to laugh as the cold water hit them.

They sat up and Honey was laughing again. "I can't believe you got me!"

Haruhi was surprised out of her giggles when they were splashed from several bodies hitting the water near them. Haruhi looked over and saw Hikaru and Kaoru had apparently decided to join and had thrown Tamaki and themselves in. Then she heard a shout and another splash. Everyone looked over at the source of the newest commotion.

Kyouya sat up and looked back at the tree where Mori stood grinning. "I'll get you for that, Mori-senpai," he threatened.

Haruhi wasn't sure if he meant that in fun or not, but Mori didn't seem worried. Instead, he joined everyone in lake. He lifted Honey off of Haruhi and threw him deeper in the lake. The twins took that as their cue to tackle Mori into the water. Haruhi was busy laughing at them and didn't notice Tamaki sneaking up behind her. Suddenly, she was flying through the air once again. This time, she came up laughing. She joined in the fun and splashed the closest body, which was Kyouya. That earned her a half-hearted glare and then an evil grin. He retaliated by stalking her. She shrieked again and tried running, but she was in water up to her thighs and breathless from laughing so much and didn't make much headway. He caught her in no time and for a third time she was flying through the air. Haruhi came up laughing still and saw he was laughing, too. She also saw the twins sneaking up behind him, which made her laugh harder. Kyouya turned around to see what she was laughing at and managed to dodge them and got them with a splash in return.

…

Everyone had had fun. Kyouya had even managed to get even with Mori by pulling him unexpectedly underwater. They only pulled themselves out of the lake when their stomachs informed them it was time for lunch. They made their way up to the house where the twins' servants had laid out a buffet on the back patio. Everyone filled a plate and sat around eating and dripping dry.

Haruhi sat back listening to others, just enjoying their company. They were talking about what to do for the rest of the day. Honey had proposed a nap after lunch. Haruhi thought everyone was just as wiped out as she was, considering the lack of vetoes. Tamaki proposed a party when they woke up. Haruhi wasn't sure what he meant by that. Usually, Tamaki's parties involved lots of planning, preparation, and people. They didn't have the time to plan, prepare, or invite, and Haruhi didn't want to have to be around a lot of people, especially after wearing herself out from swimming. Fortunately, the others also seemed to be of the same mind.

Hikaru stated, "Nah. That's just too much a bother."

Of course, Kyouya brought up the planning issues. "Plus, there's no time to do so."

Tamaki defended his idea. "No, I mean we could do a bachelor's party for Kyouya."

Haruhi sighed as she tried to figure out how Tamaki came up with the idea of Kyouya getting married. She glanced over at Kyouya with sympathy until she noticed how he looked. He was sitting very stiffly and pinning Tamaki with a murderous glare. She looked around to see if anyone had a clue to what was going on. Everyone else had the same look of confusion and shock.

Only Honey had enough courage to ask. "Kyou-chan, you're not really getting married, are you?"

That got Kyouya to stop staring at Tamaki and look around at everyone, who were staring back at him. He was sitting so still, so rigid. "Yes, I am, Honey-senpai. This wasn't the way I wanted to tell you guys."

Tamaki was now studying his best friend. "Kyouya," he said slowly, as if he couldn't believe what he heard. He brought the attention back to him. Haruhi started to feel as if she were watching a tennis match. "You haven't told them?"

"No, I have not. I was going to this weekend and give my personal invitations."

Tamaki was now looking shocked at his best friend. "Kyouya! That gives them almost no time to prepare!"

By the looks on their faces, the others were feeling the same confusion and growing suspicion as Haruhi. "Why?" she asked quietly. Kyouya and Tamaki both looked at her. Neither answered and she repeated herself. "Why isn't there a lot of time?"

Kyouya turned his head to look out at the lawn, refusing to look at anyone. She could see the muscle in his cheek clenching. She turned to Tamaki.

"Because his wedding is in two weeks."


	2. Chapter 2

Haruhi still couldn't believe Kyouya was getting married. She couldn't believe _who_ he was marrying - Jonouchi Ayame, Kyouya's classmate from high school, who had even tutored her in the past. She couldn't believe he hadn't said anything to them. She thought that maybe this was why he'd been acting different, lately, though. And here she was, actually attending Kyouya's bachelor's party. She was relieved that Tamaki hadn't hired any strippers, or worse. She's heard the stories from her father about some of the parties he'd seen at his job.

Haruhi also couldn't get over that it was _Honey_ who insisted on the alcohol. It was only after the fact that she realized that she drank more than she should have. It didn't help that there was something nagging her, something about _why_ Honey had wanted the drinks. Other than his stated purpose of 'celebrating' Kyouya's shockingly close wedding. There was something in his eyes when he'd made that claim that told Haruhi that it wasn't the whole story. She just couldn't figure out what it was. It distracted her enough that she wasn't keeping tabs on how much she drank. And of course, the more she drank, the more distracted she got.

Most of the guys had passed out. The twins and Honey were draped over the furniture in the den. Tamaki had gone to bed early saying he was too tired. Haruhi thought that he just didn't want to admit that he was a lightweight. Mori had stayed with them until Honey fell asleep and also went to bed. Before he left, though, he also had a strange look in his eyes when he looked at her. It was almost like reluctance, mixed with something else. But she couldn't think of why he'd be reluctant.

Then there was Kyouya, who was now hanging on her. It was almost as if he was one of the twins, with them at their worst, when they made her the most uncomfortable. Except this time, she didn't feel uncomfortable. The way he was leaning on her, with his head falling onto her shoulder and his breath tickling her neck, it made her realize just how much she liked it. And he kept saying things like, "You really just don't know what you mean to me" or "It's for the best". She could think of someone else who didn't know what _they_ meant to her. But she had no clue what _he_ was talking about. She tried to reassure him as best she could. She didn't like to see him so miserable.

And she knew he'd be miserable if he fell asleep anywhere but in his own bed. So she made an effort to get him off her and propelled him upstairs. By the time they made it up, she thanked goodness that no mishap had occurred. She hoped she'd remember in the future just how scary it could be getting a plastered body up a set of stairs, especially when she herself wasn't exactly sober.

She got him to his room and sat him on his bed. She looked him over and thought that there'd be no way he'd be comfortable with all his clothes on. She wondered if he'd do it on his own.

"Kyouya-senpai," she said to catch his attention. "You should go ahead and at least get out of those clothes before you go to sleep."

Kyouya just looked at her for a moment before speaking. "I think I'm going to need some help with that." And then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.

Haruhi didn't understand why he had pulled her to him, but her heart started beating faster. She had a vague idea that it would be more proper to let him do it on his own, but the way he was looking at her made her decide to help him. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his. She brought her free hand to the hem of his shirt. When she lifted it up a few inches, he let go of her. She pulled the shirt off him. When she dropped it on the floor, he took both of her hands and pressed them to his naked chest. She suddenly had a lot harder time breathing. She tried to pull back a little, but even though he wasn't holding her that tightly, she couldn't seem to break free. All she could see were his eyes. His glorious, smoldering eyes. For some reason, his eyes seemed to be getting bigger. Then, she felt his lips on hers, and she couldn't see anything at all. Only feel. And it felt amazing.

Slowly, they helped each other undress, with many caresses in between. Kyouya made her feel like she had melted and gone to heaven. There was one moment of pain, but it was quickly forgotten in the haze of alcohol and loving.

After they had reached their heights, which seemed to take a long time for Kyouya, they both laid there for a while, just holding each other. As Kyouya drifted off to sleep, Haruhi had sobered some. She realized that she really should get to her own bed. She didn't know what he'd be like in the morning with a hangover, and she didn't want to deal with Tamaki or the twins harassing her first thing. Besides, this was something between the two of them.

She smiled as she laid in her own bed. She reviewed the last hour as she fell asleep. It was great for her first time. But there was something bugging her, something she should have remembered…

…

Haruhi woke up late with a splitting headache. She couldn't believe she had drunk so much last night. Well, one thing she learned from the occasional incident with her father was how to deal with a hangover. She forced herself to get up, find some aspirin and vitamins, drink a couple of glasses of water, and go back to bed. She remembered to check the lock on her door before Tamaki could harass her. She could hear him downstairs. By the sounds, he was currently getting beat by the twins and Honey after waking them up. She couldn't blame them one bit if they felt as she did.

When she next woke up, she was feeling a lot better. Fortunately, either Tamaki was smart enough to leave her alone or she had slept through his attempts to get her up. After getting ready for the day, she headed downstairs to see about breakfast. She wondered where the others were. The past couple of days Tamaki had gotten them all up to eat breakfast together. Even Kyouya had made it without too much grumbling. But after hearing Tamaki's poorly thought out plan this morning, she hoped he hadn't tried to do the same today.

Haruhi was relieved to have quickly met Mori walking out of the kitchen. She smiled as she greeted him and walked past him, thinking he wouldn't be up for much conversation.

However, Mori stopped her. "Haruhi, can we talk?" He was looking down at her with eyes that seemed so serious.

Haruhi was a little surprised. She quickly studied his face. She could see that it wasn't just for a short, light-hearted chat. But no matter, she had no problem spending time with him. "Sure, Senpai. What's up?" Breakfast could wait.

In response, he merely gestured down the hall. He led her to a study and locked the door behind them. She was also surprised at the implied secrecy of what he wanted to talk about.

She took in the room. It was a working office. While the materials were high quality, it wasn't fussy. There was the requisite desk, with space for a laptop. There were a few bookshelves, filled with books and not knickknacks, and a filing cabinet. There was also a sofa and coffee table across from the desk.

Mori leaned against the desk. He looked uncomfortable as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked around the office. _Almost as if he was looking for inspiration_, Haruhi thought.

Haruhi asked, "Are you okay, Mori-senpai?"

He looked back at her, finally. He didn't answer her question and, instead, asked one of his own. "Did you and Kyouya manage to get to bed okay?"

Haruhi noticed he seemed uncomfortable asking such an innocent question. Yes, they had had a lot to drink, but she was still surprised he was asking about that. She remembered the almost-fiasco of getting Kyouya up the stairs, and she had woken up in her own bed. So… "Yeah, although the stairs weren't fun." Although, from the way Mori was behaving, she didn't think he had been worried about stairs. He seemed uncomfortable but also had a sympathetic expression on his face. "But it's not the stairs you're wondering about."

He slowly shook his head.

So she put more thought into his question. She was having a hard time remembering last night. She tried to put the night in sequence. She remembered Honey showing up with the alcohol. She remembered everyone drinking. She remembered her and Kyouya being the last ones awake. She remembered the stairs. She remembered getting him to his bed. She remembered… Oh. Shit. She had slept with Kyouya. She had _enjoyed_ having _sex_ with _Kyouya_.

She was remembering it much more clearly. She couldn't believe she had done that. _You are so STUPID_, she yelled at herself. She closed her eyes in embarrassment and could feel her cheeks heating up.

Mori seemed to have figured out that something must have happened. "Haruhi…"

She forced her eyes open but couldn't bring herself to look at him. She could feel the burn of her blush over her face. She stared fixedly at the desk beside him.

"I know."

Haruhi could feel her eyes getting a little bigger but she still kept them on the desk. _What does he know? And how much? Oh, please, don't let him know anything._

"I couldn't sleep. I got worried about you and went to see if you were still downstairs. I couldn't help but hear when I passed Kyouya's room," he said gently.

_Oh. SHIT!_ She closed her eyes again. To her complete mortification, tears started coming down her cheeks. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to _think_.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She popped open her eyes and jumped back. She couldn't handle a touch right now, especially _his_ touch. And she instantly felt guilty for rejecting his comfort. She started crying harder, sobbing a little.

"Mori - I'm sorry - but -" she said brokenly. She barely realized she forgot the 'senpai', but she couldn't bring herself to care considering the circumstances.

But Mori just shook his head. He pointed to the sofa behind her. She turned and sat down. He took a seat at the opposite end, close enough to show that he wasn't pushing her away but far enough to give her space. He had found some tissues and handed them to her. She immediately took one and buried her face in it. All she could think was how stupid she had been. And that he had heard them. And that Kyouya was getting married. She was so _stupid_.

"Haruhi, I'm sorry. I didn't know how much you would remember. You were both so very drunk."

All she could do was nod her head. Yes, she had _definitely_ drunk too much. She could finally think of something other than 'she was stupid'.

She finally could pull her face out of the tissue. "I am never drinking again."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mori give her a small sympathetic smile.

"How could I be so _stupid_?" And she was back to that line.

"Haruhi - " he tried saying.

She didn't know what he was going to say, but she didn't want to hear it. Haruhi cut him off. "He's a _friend_. He's getting _married_ in _two weeks_! In what way was it not stupid?!"

Mori shifted a little. He asked quietly, "Haruhi… how do you feel about him?"

"I don't know!" she shouted, and the tears started again. "I don't know," she repeated softly. She grabbed another tissue to keep up with the fresh tears. "I mean, I've only ever thought of him as a friend. I don't really know beyond that. I mean, I didn't _think_ there was anything beyond that, but why would I ha- have-…" She couldn't say it, so she just shook her head and continued on. "And I wouldn't have any right to feel anything beyond friendship. He's getting married. To another woman. Besides…"

Mori waited a moment before asking, "Besides?"

But she just shook her head again. How could she tell Mori that lately she had been thinking about _him_ as more than a friend, especially right after having slept with someone else? Now, she could worry about something else. Just how much of a slut was she? With fresh mortification, she could feel her blush come back.

"Haruhi, feelings don't know right or wrong. They just are."

She couldn't really respond to that; she just simply shook her head once again. Feelings may just 'be', but it's how you act on them that is right or wrong. Mori seemed to understand. He just sat in silence while she tried to come to terms with what she had done.

Mori stirred. "It may not be my place to say anything, but Kyouya cares for you."

Haruhi snorted at that. "I kinda figured that out last night. But no matter what, he's still engaged to someone else. And considering everything, I highly doubt that he'd cancel everything just because of one night this late in the game. And besides, he never actually talked to me about anything. It just happened." Even to her ears, she sounded more exasperated than she really was.

Mori looked a bit put off by her sour attitude, and she couldn't blame him. Wasn't she the one who just said that she didn't know how she felt about Kyouya?

"Sorry. I'm just a little upset by this," she offered as an apology.

"You should talk to him."

She nodded her head but she had no idea how to approach the subject with Kyouya. However, she had something else she needed to do, too. While she couldn't bring herself to tell Mori how she felt about him, she needed to say _something_.

She turned to face him straight on. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He looked confused. And something else. "Haruhi, what -"

"I didn't mean for this to happen," she cut him off again. "I – I just – am so, so very sorry."

The full import of what she had done was starting to hit. She looked down at her hands, turning away from him slightly, as her tears once again started to fall. She had had sex because she had drunk too much. She had had sex with one of her friends. She had had sex with someone she didn't love. She had had sex with someone other than who she at least had feelings for. And said person whom she liked had found out in one of the worst ways. To top it off, she didn't remember using protection and she wasn't on the pill.

She failed her father. She didn't keep her promise to act responsible. She didn't feel that he would be proud of what she did. Or her mother. The tears became another waterfall.

This time, when Mori put a hand on her shoulder, she leaned into him a little. She needed some comfort. Even if it was from the one whom she felt she had betrayed.

Mori shifted closer and pulled her into a hug. "Haruhi, it'll be alright. No matter what, I'll be there for you. So will Mitsukuni. And even if the others get mad at you, they will eventually forgive you."

This made Haruhi feel even worse. He didn't know that she had feelings for him and still had had sex with another man. And she had enjoyed it. It hadn't been forced on her. Now, she hated herself for it. She had given away her first time in such a stupid fashion. She clung tighter to Mori, sobbing into his chest. She felt him alternately stroking her hair and her back. She could hear him murmuring something to her, but she was too upset to hear him clearly.

Finally, some of his words became clear. "Haruhi, please, talk to me. I've never seen you cry like this. What is it?"

"It's – it's just – my dad – and my _mom_…" Haruhi got that much out through her sobs. "They wouldn't be p- proud of me."

She felt Mori wrap his arms around her to hold her tightly. "No matter what, they love you. One action, one mistake isn't going to change that. And over all, your actions are worthy of them being proud of you. You are a worthy person to know. No one is perfect. We have all made mistakes. Some are big; some are small. It's how we deal with them that shows what kind of person we are. I'm sure they will be proud of how you choose to deal with this one."

Haruhi actually felt better from his speech, but she still doubted he'd feel the same if he knew everything. "How do you know?"

"Because I know you. And no matter what, _I'm_ proud of you."

Haruhi pulled back to look at him in surprise. She couldn't quite figure out his expression. He looked sympathetic, but there was something else, something she couldn't quite figure out. She thought she'd seen it some other time, but couldn't remember when.

"But last night-"

This time, Mori took his turn to interrupt. "Alcohol does that."

Haruhi doubted that.

Mori continued. "You aren't the first."

Haruhi couldn't stop the blush and looked away. He still didn't know that she was interested in _him_, not Kyouya. "But he's not the one I would've wanted," she almost confessed.

"Haruhi." Mori waited until she was looking at him. "Again, you're not the first."

The way he said it made her think there might be an underlying message, but she couldn't quite grasp what it could be. But she was suddenly very conscious that he hadn't let go of her… that she was practically sitting in his lap… that his lips were so close. His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips, and she unconsciously copied him. His lips lifted into a small smile. She looked up into his eyes, and quickly turned away, blushing harder.

_What are you thinking?! You just had sex with one man, and now you're way too close to another!_ Her conscience was yelling at her. _…even if he IS the one I like_, a part of her whispered back.

She pulled out of Mori's arms. "I… umm… I guess I should go talk to Kyouya-senpai. Thank you for talking with me." _As if that didn't sound awkward_, she berated herself. "I feel better, now."

Mori didn't seem bothered by it, though. He stood up and offered her a hand up. "You're welcome. Any time you need me, I'll be glad to help."

They reached the door. Mori pulled it open for her. Before she stepped through, she looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Mori-senpai. I appreciate that."

He simply smiled in response. She left the office. She noticed he didn't.

…

Haruhi found Kyouya, surprisingly, in the kitchen making himself a bagel with cream cheese and a glass of juice. She would have thought he'd ask one of the help to make it for him. He looked up when he heard her enter and immediately turned white. He looked back down at the counter, carefully placing his hands on either side of his almost prepared food. Haruhi thought he looked queasy. And since he reacted when he saw her, she thought he probably remembered last night.

"Hey," she said. She didn't know how to bring up last night. It was a delicate subject, even if the act hadn't been, and she didn't want to just bluntly blunder into it.

Kyouya didn't look up, but he did respond, at least. "Good morning, Haruhi."

Well, maybe she could lighten the mood a little. Maybe it would help ease into the subject. "Well, technically, it's afternoon, but, good morning to you, too," she teased, as it had just passed noon. She thought she saw a small lift of the corners of his mouth. "How are you feeling?"

Any humor she thought she saw on Kyouya's face immediately disappeared. "You mean after last night's over-indulgence?" He sounded bitter. Haruhi started getting a sinking feeling in her stomach. This talk wasn't going to go well. "Well, I'm doing better than Tamaki is right now. Honey-senpai accidentally broke his nose when he woke them up this morning. Tamaki jumped on the twins without noticing Honey-senpai was next to them. He went to the doctor's to get it set straight. The others decided to go with him. Honey-senpai felt guilty and the twins just went for the humor. Apparently, none of them had hangovers."

Haruhi felt a little disgruntled. She could have sworn they had drunk just as much as she did. But at least it gave her a chance to get things sorted out.

She shook her head at herself. She shouldn't be upset because she had a worse hangover than the others did; she should be upset at her actions last night.

But Kyouya had only brought up the drinking from last night. _Did that mean he didn't remember what happened between us?_ Haruhi was unsure of how to bring it up. "About last night-" she started.

But Kyouya interrupted her. "I'm sorry," he said curtly. "I shouldn't have. It was a mistake." He still hadn't looked up at her.

Haruhi was shocked. And more than a little hurt. Granted, she thought it was a mistake, too, but she still cared about him as a friend. And she had at least liked the physical part of it. But now he was being so cold to her. "A mistake?" she asked softly. "True. But can we at least talk about it?"

"I thought we were," he replied. He finally looked up at her. When he saw her expression, he sighed and seemed to soften a little. "I am sorry, Haruhi. Both for last night and just now. I can at least reassure you that you weren't exposed to any diseases."

Haruhi was a little taken aback at that. She couldn't help but inquire. "Oh?"

Kyouya actually winced. And blushed. If the subject wasn't so serious, Haruhi would have been delighted about getting him to do that.

"It was my first time, too," he confessed.

She blinked a couple of times. "Oh… umm… I couldn't tell." That was all she could think to say.

Kyouya gave a ghost of a smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."

_Okay, screw beating around the bush_, Haruhi thought. "Why did you do it?"

"Why did you?" he shot back.

She didn't really know why she did it. It just felt good at the time. Now, she regretted it. "As I recall, you started it," she returned.

Kyouya looked back down at the counter. "I love you," he said after a moment.

Haruhi wasn't expecting that. In spite of what Mori told her, in spite of what she said, in spite of what they _did_, she wasn't expecting it. She felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. "Kyouya-senpai… You're getting married!"

"I know. And I have my reasons for going through with it."

Haruhi was very confused. "But…" _What about him cheating on Ayame? What about his confession?_

"Haruhi, do you love me?" he asked softly.

Haruhi felt bad, but she didn't. And she couldn't lie to him. There was too much at stake to even try to spare his feelings. "I'm sorry, Kyouya-senpai. No, I don't," she said softly.

"I knew. That's one of the reasons I never told you how I felt. Another is that I wouldn't have been able even to ask you on a date, let alone anything further. Last night… should never have happened."

Haruhi looked down at the counter. At least he had done it as an act of love. She could feel tears starting to form.

"Haruhi, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," Kyouya begged.

She shook her head. "You didn't. I did. And I hurt you, too."

Kyouya came around the counter to her. He placed a hand on her arm. "You didn't hurt me. You at least gave me a good memory to take with me. It was something I never dreamt could happen. And I knew how you felt. And I know my situation. Please believe me; I am willingly walking into my marriage with eyes wide open. Last night won't affect it." She looked up at him at that. "I'm just sorry that you got hurt. I wish I could take last night back. I know you didn't want me to be your first. Words cannot express how sorry I am."

Haruhi couldn't stand to let him beat himself up over _that_. True, she felt bad about him taking her virginity and for not liking him as more than a friend, but it was by _her_ actions, not his. "Kyouya-senpai, please. It wasn't just you who chose to act last night. I went along with it." She gave him a wry smile. "It felt good."

Kyouya gave her one back. "At least that, then." Then, he looked at her completely seriously. "No matter what, I'd like to keep your friendship."

"You have it," Haruhi replied quickly. "Always that." She felt her arm being squeezed gently and smiled. She decided to stop asking about him cheating on Ayame. He thought it wasn't going to affect his marriage, and it really wasn't her place to question him about it anyway.

"Thank you," Kyouya said quietly. Then in a more normal tone, "Have you eaten yet?"

Haruhi shook her head. "I haven't had a chance to."

"Would you care to join me?"

Haruhi nodded her head and quickly made something for herself and joined Kyouya at the table.

When she sat down, she noticed Kyouya was very pensive. She had to ask. "What are you thinking about?"

"Well, I'm trying to think how wise it would be for you to attend the wedding."

"Senpai, we're friends. It would be wrong if I didn't go, especially in the eyes of everyone else. Unless you'd like to give them an explanation?"

Kyouya sighed. "No, you have a point."

Haruhi studied him, trying to figure out why he was so reluctant. "But you don't want me there?"

He looked up at her sharply. "It's not what you think. I've lived with my feelings for a while, and while last night has the potential to make things awkward between us, I refuse to let that happen."

But he didn't explain why he didn't want her to go. "Then why-"

"Haruhi, please. I can't go into everything. It's just - I need you safe."

"Then how about she goes with me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Haruhi jumped a little when she heard Mori's voice.

"I apologize for intruding," Mori said as he stood in the doorway.

Haruhi didn't know what to think. Why wouldn't she be safe if she went to the wedding? Or more specifically, why would she be safer if she went with Mori? And why would Mori even offer? However, no one was saying anything. She looked between the two men who were staring at each other. She could see there was something passing between them. She could see Kyouya's expression change from guarded to resigned, and a little sad. When she looked back at Mori, she couldn't see much - he was hiding his emotions again - but she thought the corners of his mouth were turned down just a bit.

"Not necessary, Mori-senpai. Your suggestion has merit. I doubt anyone would consider doing anything with you by her side." Kyouya said eventually.

Mori simply inclined his head at Kyouya. He turned to Haruhi. "Would you be willing to let me escort you?"

Haruhi wasn't sure what was going on. She thought about pressing the issue, it was, after all, about her, but she decided to wait to do that. This wasn't the right time to do so, and she trusted the judgment of the two of them. They both wanted her safe. Safe from what she didn't know, but still safe. "Sure, Mori-senpai. I'd like that."

Mori glanced at Kyouya, and then gave Haruhi a smile. "Thank you," he said just as his phone rang. He looked at the name before answering it. "Hello? - Ah. - Sure, I'll let them know. - Fine. See you soon." He hung up. "Mitsukuni says they're finished and that Tamaki wanted us to meet them in town to do some shopping."

Kyouya raised his eyebrows. "Is that wise? He just had his nose set. I'm sure the anesthesia would make him pretty sleepy."

Mori shook his head. "Mitsukuni said the doctor told him it wasn't broken, just severely bruised. Tamaki didn't need any anesthesia, just some pain medicine. He's now feeling better and wants to go out."

Haruhi shook her head in amazement. "And he doesn't mind going out with his face swollen and black and blue?"

Mori just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't keep the wounded waiting." Kyouya sighed as he was getting up.

…

Everyone met up at a local shopping center, the kind that is filled with expensive boutiques. Haruhi had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. And that was before she got a look at Tamaki's poor face. She didn't know how he could be acting so normal with how bad it looked. She guessed since he didn't have to look at it he forgot about it. _The wonders of modern medicine._

Hikaru and Kaoru latched on to her as soon as she stepped out of the car. With Honey right behind them, they effectively blocked Tamaki from getting to her. While Haruhi appreciated not having Tamaki instantly grabbing her, the twins were still crowding her. She could see him bouncing behind them. Kyouya caught his attention to look at his nose. Once she saw that, she sidled out from the threesome in front of her to get a little room.

Finally, the garble from everyone died down enough that she could hear what they were trying to say.

"We were talking while we were waiting for Milord to finish up with the doctor." She could hear Hikaru first.

"You'll need a dress for the wedding. So we thought we'd look around to see what was available here." Kaoru finished.

_Oh, god. They want to play dress-up with me._ "I have dresses, you know. I don't always wear pants."

The twins both face-palmed. Hikaru explained. "This isn't just Kyouya-senpai's wedding, Haruhi. This is an _Ootori_ wedding. His entire family will be there as well as society's elite and the most prominent business partners. You need to dress appropriately."

"They're quite right, Haruhi. You'll need to fit in." Kyouya stated.

When Haruhi opened her mouth to argue, Mori interrupted. Mori placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "At least I'll be able to match."

Haruhi hung her head, defeated. "Fine."

"Wait, what?" cried the others.

Knowing everyone as long as she has, she wasn't surprised at their reaction. "Mori-senpai is taking me to Kyouya-senpai's wedding."

"But, Haruhi! You should go with me!" Tamaki whined.

"Excuse me. I have already agreed and I'm not going back on it. That would be extremely rude." _Not to mention you're being rude to ask me to do so_, Haruhi grumped. She was actually looking forward to spending time with Mori. She only hoped she didn't end up hurting Kyouya.

Kyouya shot him a look. "And don't you _already_ have a date?"

Tamaki immediately got flustered. "Ah… oh… right… umm… Sorry about that."

The Hikaru next to her snickered, but Tamaki quickly recovered and started horsing around. Haruhi was glad that he wasn't too upset. She had only just now thought about how they might have taken it. Both Hikaru and Tamaki had confessed to loving her a while back, and she had told them each the same thing. She only thought of them as friends. She'd had to sit and talk with them for a long while before they eventually accepted it.

All of her relief flew out the window in the next moment.

Tamaki quickly pounced on the opportunity to have some connection to her for that day. "Then, I'll go ahead and pay for your outfit."

"Tamaki-senpai!"

Kyouya defended him. "That makes sense, Haruhi. Would you be able to afford one of these dresses?"

All Haruhi could do was grit her teeth. They had a point. She didn't have much money with her, and even though her dad would be more than willing to help her out, he wasn't here. Haruhi was irritated since she knew there was no way Tamaki would ever let her pay him back.

Hikaru dragged her out of her thoughts, literally, when he pulled her into the nearest store, saying, "Right. Come on, Haruhi. We only have so much time before the stores close."

"Wait! What do you mean?" Haruhi cried, but she didn't get an answer.

She didn't want to spend all day looking at dresses, shoes, and the accompanying accessories. However, she knew them better than to hope she could get away anytime soon. She sighed to herself as already several dresses were piled into her arms and she was directed to the dressing rooms.

…

Haruhi sat in the patio chair while she watched most of the guys playing soccer on the lawn. The twins had teamed up with Tamaki against Mori and Honey. Even with three against two, Mori and Honey were winning. She was glad they hadn't tried too hard to get her to play. Her athletic skills hadn't ever really improved and she was a bit tired from trying on dresses. Although, to be fair, she hadn't had to try on that many. She had forgotten to take into account Hikaru and Kaoru's skill at evaluating clothes at a glance.

So, she had a twins-approved, Tamaki-paid, Mori-matching outfit sitting in the closet upstairs while she sat relaxing with a drink next to Kyouya on the patio. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the last rays of the sun for the day. She listened to the different sounds around her. She could hear the guys yelling both encouragements and good-natured insults at each other. There were the birds settling in for the night and Kyouya typing on his laptop. It was quite peaceful.

"About last night…" Kyouya's voice startled her.

Haruhi popped her eyes open to look at him. "Yes?"

He lowered his voice so she could barely hear him. "It would be best if no one knew."

_Well, there's a problem with that_. "Umm, Mori-senpai already knows." When Kyouya quickly looked at her, she explained. "He found me this morning and told me he heard us. We talked about it and helped me out." She blushed as she said that and couldn't look at Kyouya. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him wince and rushed to reassure him. "No, it's okay. I'm feeling much better about it. He just helped me talk through it."

Kyouya sighed and looked back down at his computer. "I'm still sorry I put you into that position."

"Please stop beating yourself up about it. Like I said before, you weren't the only one. I'm also at fault. I'm almost afraid I led you on." She confessed one of her fears.

Kyouya quickly shook his head. "No. I knew how you felt."

She felt a small amount of relief. "Then please, let it go."

She saw a small sigh escape his lips. "Alright. So long as you're okay, I will."

She gave him a small smile, a little relieved. "Thank you." She hesitated a moment, and then asked him something else that had been bothering her. "Are you alright with me going with Mori-senpai?"

He hesitated in return. "Yes, he's a good man. He'll watch out for you."

She studied him, trying to see if he was lying.

"Really, Haruhi," he said, with finality and went back to working on his computer.

Haruhi had no choice but to take him at his word and left him to his work. She went back to watching the guys, though her eyes followed one more often. She found herself thinking about him. She had to admit that Mori was definitely fit. She wondered how he found time to do everything. He at the top of his classes in college, and had kendo and judo several days a week. And he still found time to spend with his family and friends. He was so patient and kind, and as he once again proved this morning, he was very wise. She couldn't help but marvel at him. It was no wonder she liked him so very much.

She was pulled out of her musings when the guys decided the game was finished and came back to the patio to cool off. She laughed with them as they teased each other about the game.

"Hey, I may be clumsy, but even I didn't trip over the ball, send it straight up in the air, and have it land on the back of my head, Hikaru." Tamaki got his own back from Hikaru's teasing.

Everyone was laughing at Hikaru's expense, including Hikaru. Even he could see how it was funny.

Haruhi wondered over the changes in both of them. Tamaki had learned how to joke and Hikaru how to let go. She wasn't quite sure when either had happened, but she could see the difference. She thought it made them better people. She loved seeing the changes in her friends. She wondered what other changes would happen in the future and if she'd be able to see them. She hoped the group would stay together. _No, I know we'll stay together. We really are each others' second family._

Soon, everyone went in for dinner. Tamaki had insisted on a feast for their last night here. With so much food, everyone was taking their time. The conversation eventually turned to Kyouya's wedding. It was the white elephant in the room. They were still a little sore that Kyouya had waited so long to tell them about it, but knowing it was Kyouya, they figured he had good reason to do so.

Honey was the one who brought the subject up. "So, Takashi is taking Haru-chan. Tama-chan, who are you taking?"

"Actually, I'm part of the wedding, I'll be escorting Ayame's friend, Sorami-san," Tamaki announced.

Haruhi was surprised, until she remembered that Tamaki had said he already knew. That explained how. She wanted to blame him for not telling on Kyouya earlier, but she knew that first, it wasn't his place, and second, he had thought Kyouya had already done so. That made her wonder _why_ Kyouya had waited so long. She glanced at him down the table from her. He didn't seem too comfortable with the subject. She wondered if she had anything to do with his reasons. He's already said he wasn't sure about her going. If he had announced his wedding to the others, there was no way they would have kept it from her. If she didn't get an invitation, it would be a severe insult to their friendship. But she shouldn't assume it was about her. There were probably other issues that made him keep from telling them. He _had_ hinted at that earlier.

She recalled herself when Honey replied. "You are?" Honey also seemed surprised at Tamaki's answer. He gave a pause and asked, "So, what's your role?"

Kyouya responded, instead. "He's my Best Man. My brothers are my Groom's Men. Ayame has her friend, sister and cousin for her party."

Honey seemed nonplussed as all he said was, "Oh." He visibly collected himself. "Well I'm going to invite Rei-chan." That wasn't a surprise, since Reiko was his girlfriend. He turned to look at Hikaru and Kaoru. "Have you guys thought who'd you ask?"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other and just shrugged. "Eh, we'll find someone."

The room went quiet. Finally, Kyouya spoke up. "I'm sorry I kept this from you. You are my friends and you're the last to know. I understand if you're upset with me."

Tamaki interrupted. "Hell, _I'm_ mad at you. You should have told-"

"_As_ I was saying," Kyouya ground out, not quite glaring at Tamaki. "I can't make it up to you. At the time, I had my reasons, but now they seem insignificant." His glance at Haruhi was so quick that she almost missed it. "All I can do is give you my most sincere apologies."

After a moment of silence, Honey replied, "We forgive you, Kyou-chan." Everyone else nodded.

…

Haruhi couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Kyouya and his possible reasons for not telling everyone he engaged. Considering what he said at dinner and his quick glance, she was pretty sure she _was_ the main reason he didn't say anything. Even though she didn't do anything, she still felt guilty. She really wanted to talk about it and wondered if Mori would still be up.

She wrapped a robe around her and knocked softly on his door. When he didn't answer, she figured he was asleep and she didn't want to wake him. She knew she couldn't sleep as she was. Sometimes a glass of milk would help, so she went down to the kitchen. Coming back with her milk, she heard muffled voices. She decided to go see who it was; even if she couldn't talk about what was bothering her, maybe she could be distracted enough to go to sleep. She followed the sound to the den. She caught part of a sentence and realized it was Kyouya.

"… wouldn't leave me alone after dinner," he groaned. She assumed that he meant Tamaki. She could just see that.

"Ah," she heard as an answer. And realized that it was Mori. Now, she wasn't sure if she wanted to join them, although she wondered what they were talking about. She was about to turn around when she heard Kyouya speak again.

"I'm sorry you found out like you did," he said softly.

That caught her attention. She knew she was eavesdropping, but she couldn't make herself leave. Mori didn't respond for a moment or two.

"I'm sorry for your situation."

Kyouya sighed. "Unfortunately, it's part of being an Ootori." There was another pause before he continued. "Are you going to take care of her? As much as I want to, I cannot."

Again, Mori waited a moment before answering. "Always."

Then, the men were silent for such a long time that Haruhi decided she needed to go before they caught her. She put her glass in the sink and went to bed. She didn't fall asleep until much later, still thinking about the conversation she overheard.

…

The next morning, Tamaki had woken them all up for the last 'family' breakfast. She knew that he didn't still think of them as the make-believe family from the early days, but he _was_ correct that they were a family, just not one of blood. It was why it hurt for Kyouya not telling them his big news, but it was also why they could forgive him. They understood each other and supported each other. At least, that was how Haruhi saw it.

The day was gray and dreary. Clouds had moved in overnight. They blanketed the sky and gave a constant drizzle. Haruhi didn't particularly want to go anywhere until it was time to go home. Besides, she knew that several people didn't get much sleep, herself included. She thought of something they could do to say inside. It was something that everyone could do together where those who were tired could put in minimal effort while the others could expend some energy.

She spoke up before someone tried suggesting they go out somewhere. "Since it's so wet out, I was wondering if we could do something inside."

Tamaki perked up. "That sounds like a great idea."

Haruhi quickly put in her suggestion. "Well, I was kind of thinking of playing Charades. How does that sound?"

Everyone agreed.

They moved to the den and divided into teams. Tamaki made the suggestion to draw names for teams. Haruhi ended up teamed with Hikaru, Honey, and Kyouya. Hikaru seemed pleased. She saw him give Kaoru an evil grin. Honey just told Mori to try his best. Apparently, he wasn't upset either. Tamaki pouted for a short period, but his protests were half-hearted at best. She was just glad he hadn't put up more of a fuss. She thought she'd be better off _not_ on his team.

The game turned out to be a success. Everyone had fun, even Tamaki, but she still felt bad for Mori and Kaoru. Tamaki had actually been bad at the game. His guesses were as off the wall as his acting.

Once, her team had given Tamaki an elephant to act out. They were feeling a little sorry for him and they decided to give him something a little easier. However, he ended up acting as if he was a flying monkey. It was a disaster for him, however, Hikaru was laughing hysterically. Once Kaoru and Mori gave up and were told the answer, they looked at each other and burst into laughter, too. At that point, Honey, Kyouya, and Haruhi also lost their battle.

As for Haruhi's team, they were actually pretty good. Even though Tamaki, Kaoru, and Mori tried to give them really hard charades, her team were good guessers, even if it was Haruhi who was stuck acting. She knew she wasn't good at it, but she still had fun trying. But in spite of her efforts, her team won.

After, Kyouya announced it was time to get ready to leave. "That means a last minute check on your stuff to make sure everything's packed."

That sent everyone upstairs to their rooms. She double-checked the room and then brought her suitcase downstairs. She handed it to Honey's chauffer and went back upstairs for the dress bag. She would have ruined the dress if she had tried to bring everything down at once.

She heard Tamaki talking with Kyouya when she passed by Kyouya's room. She felt bad for Kyouya. Apparently, Tamaki wasn't done with him, yet.

"Kyouya, are you sure about going through with this?"

"Tamaki, how many times are you going to ask me that? Yes, I'm sure. I have discussed this with Ayame. She understands. She has her own reasons for going through with it, too."

Haruhi wasn't trying to overhear. The door was cracked open and their voices carried. She quickly got her dress.

On her way back, she could hear more.

"But, what about-"

"Enough, Tamaki! Do _not_ bring this subject up again. It is a fact. Ayame and I are getting married. You need to accept it and stop bothering me. Otherwise, I _will_ make you return with the twins."

She didn't hear anything else as she reached the stairs. Again, she hurried. Even though she wasn't purposefully eavesdropping, she still didn't want to be caught there. She reached the chauffer without further incident.

Until she turned around and nearly bumped into Mori.

"Oh! Sorry, Mori-senpai." But when she looked up at him, he was looking disapprovingly at her. "What it is?" She couldn't think of what she might have done to deserve that look.

He transferred his frown to the car trunk. "I would have helped you carry your luggage down."

_That was it?_ "Oh. I had it. It wasn't a problem."

He just grunted and walked back in the house. Haruhi shrugged her shoulders. _What was that all about? I know he said he'd help me if I needed it, but it wasn't for something as simple as that. Was it? I can handle carrying my stuff._ Haruhi couldn't decide if that was what he meant. She decided to leave it be and followed him in.

Everyone had gathered in the entrance. Kyouya came to stand on next to her, putting her between Tamaki and him. She wasn't quite comfortable with him standing quite so close again, after everything that had happened. But she didn't make a fuss about it. She didn't blame Kyouya for wanting to be away from Tamaki.

She noticed Mori was checking on her. She quickly shook her head at him, hoping to convey that she was fine.

The others were making quite a bit of noise. Honey was alternating between crying that the weekend was over and bouncing around in reaction to the other three. Hikaru and Kaoru were trying to get away from Tamaki's death grip. Tamaki was lamenting that the weekend was over and his family was breaking up.

Honey started shouting, "Family! Family! Family!"

Haruhi was suddenly not so sure she wanted to ride back with him in the car. _Did someone slip him something in his cake?_ She was only half kidding with that thought.

Mori noticed and shook his head at her. "Don't worry; he'll go to sleep pretty quickly once we get going," he told her quietly.

Haruhi nodded in relief. Tamaki then blindsided her with a hug, blubbering something about her leaving the nest. She wasn't sure what he was on about. But Tamaki's hold was getting tighter. It was starting to hurt.

Definitely time to call for help. "Mor-" was all she was able to squeak out. She didn't have any breath. She only had to wait a second longer before she could breathe again. She looked up to see Mori holding Tamaki at arm's length. "Thanks, Mori-senpai."

Mori nodded while still fending Tamaki off. Tamaki was now shouting Mori's name. She shook her head.

"Tamaki!" Kyouya had to shout to get his attention. "Get a hold of yourself. It's not the end of the world. We'll still be seeing each other as often as ever. Just not for the next month or so. But after that, we'll still see each other every other weekend. _Like always._"

Tamaki whimpered once before nodding his head. "Okay."

Kyouya eyed him, as if to ascertain his sincerity. He then nodded his head. "Good." He then looked around at everyone.

And then suddenly, surprisingly, it was Kyouya who seemed uncertain. Everyone noticed, and in a flash of bighearted love, enveloped him in a group hug. "Don't worry, Senpai", "We're still family", "We still love you, Kyou-chan", "Believe in your own words", and other such sentiments were said. Haruhi wasn't quite sure who said what, but she hoped Kyouya realized that even if their world changed a little, he was still a part of them. They weren't going to let him go.

When they released him, she saw him lift his hand to his eyes. Even after he lowered it, his eyes still shimmered. "Yes, yes. Now, enough of this. We should get on home."

Honey helped ease the tension. "Yeah! Home!" And thus, he started bouncing around again, lightening the mood. Everyone laughed at him.

Hikaru then grabbed Kaoru's arm and they started dancing their way out, singing some song in English about a drunken sailor. Haruhi wasn't sure her English was quite as strong as she thought. She was having trouble understanding the song. Apparently, Tamaki didn't. He turned bright red and looked like he wanted to run after them. Kyouya quickly grabbed the back of his shirt to keep him from doing so and dragged him to their car instead.

Haruhi waved goodbye to the four of them before she followed Honey and Mori into the car. The car was roomy enough for Honey to be able to stretch out for his nap, when he finally decided to do so.

Haruhi spaced out a little, listening to Honey chatter to Mori about the weekend. She couldn't completely get lost in her thoughts because Honey would occasionally throw a comment or question her way, but she was happy that Honey was happy. Eventually, Mori's prediction came true. Honey declared himself tired and laid out on the seat. Soon, all Haruhi could hear his even breathing.


	4. Chapter 4

Haruhi sat looking out the window. When Honey fell asleep, she finally had a chance to think in peace. Mori was giving her space, and she felt free to retreat into herself.

She thought about what happened the other night. While the circumstances hadn't been what she'd wanted her first time to be, Kyouya had at least been a good lover. He had made it enjoyable for her, and they were still friends. And Mori had reassured her that he didn't think ill of her, so she hadn't lost _his_ friendship.

Overall, however, she had come to terms with her own actions. While she wasn't going to tell her dad, she at least thought that he'd feel she made the right decisions after her first couple of bad decisions. She was definitely staying away from alcohol after this. Maybe in the future she'd feel comfortable enough to have one or two drinks, but never again would she over-indulge as she had two nights ago. And she hoped Mori was right, that her parents could at least be proud of her new decisions. She hated feeling like she had let them down. But she could, and would, learn from her mistakes, to never make them again.

But then her thoughts turned to Kyouya's wedding and his problems. She felt bad when she thought about the differences in the type of marriage she'd been raised to expect and what Kyouya and Ayame were getting with each other. And she was sure that she was the reason why he hadn't told anyone and felt bad about _that_. He obviously thought there might be problems with her attending, and she felt she was the cause that made him wait so long to tell everyone. She was the cause of everyone getting hurt by it. She felt awful that he was put in such a position.

For the first time, she questioned her involvement with everyone else. Was everyone under pressure because of her? Was everyone being hurt by associating with her? She could feel the tears slide down her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away.

But not quickly enough. Mori saw her movement.

"Haruhi?" he asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

Since yesterday's talk with him, she felt comfortable bringing her worries to him. She turned to him and asked, "Have I caused problems for you guys? With being associated with me?"

"Is this about Kyouya?"

She nodded her head. "But everyone else, too. His situation just made me think that you guys might have problems, too."

Mori pulled her into his arms. "No, the rest of us haven't had any problems because of you. I'm not sure if you're the cause of his since he hasn't told me what they are, but I think Kyouya would have problems no matter what. I don't think he's talked with anyone about them, not even Tamaki."

She felt worse hearing that. She felt so bad for Kyouya. She held Mori tighter and felt him do the same. "Is there anything we can do?" she whispered.

"We can make sure he knows we'll be there for him and support him."

Haruhi nodded her head even though she felt it wasn't enough. But she couldn't think of what they could do for him, especially since he hasn't confided in anyone about what's going on. He'd only let a little slip and at that, only that he actually has problems. And even then, he only did so in private. When he apologized to everyone last night, he downplayed that he had any. She actually felt helpless and she didn't like it one bit. So here she was, in Mori's arms, crying.

_Why had things become so bad so suddenly? One day, I'm laughing and having a good time, only thinking about enjoying the company of everyone and looking forward to starting college. The next, I have this situation hanging over my head._

She buried her face into Mori's chest. She could feel him stroke her hair before he rested his head on hers. He felt so warm and comforting. And she was so tired...

She never notice when she slipped into sleep, still in his arms.

…

Honey's voice dragged her from her sleep. She could feel Mori's warm arms still around her as she rested against his shoulder. Even though she was semi-awake, she couldn't move.

"Takashi, what happened to Haruhi?" It was the voice of adult Honey, or rather, of Mitsukuni.

She felt Mori shift one of his arms a little and then back.

Then she heard him again, but this time quieter. "Was she crying? Why was she crying?"

She felt Mori shift slightly against her. Then, she felt him rub her arm. That helped her wake up. She was finally able to sit up. Her arms had fallen asleep and now felt like jelly. She sat back from Mori and roughly rubbed her face back to life.

"Sorry, Honey-senpai, I didn't mean to worry you."

"Haruhi, what's wrong?" Honey was definitely back to his adult persona and in full worry mode. His fun and games had ended, so he stopped the cuteness.

This wasn't the first time Haruhi had seen him act the adult he is. As they got older, it became more commonplace from him. Haruhi wondered. W_ould there be a time when he'd drop the child persona altogether_? She hoped not. It was just too much a part of him.

She was brought back from her wanderings when he asked, "Haruhi? Are you okay?"

Startled, she looked up at him, belatedly remembering her surroundings. "Ah, sorry. I'm okay. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night." She really didn't want to worry him. If she told him what she told Mori, he might get suspicious and ask for more details. He may not act like it, but he _is_ pretty sharp.

Apparently, she failed badly. Honey narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "Haru-chan, what happened? You've been crying. I can see it on your face. You aren't just tired."

Haruhi hesitated. She really didn't want to tell him. She didn't want reveal her great mistake. Kyouya had that right. She didn't want to face the disappointment from her friends. While she knew they cared about her, she felt it was something that should just be between those who already knew. She didn't want to cause them any more stress.

"Mitsukuni, she's fine. As she said, she was tired and worried more than she needed to about us." Mori spoke up for her.

Honey looked back at his cousin as if he didn't quite believe him, but all he said was, "I'm sorry you didn't get much sleep, Haru-chan. Please, don't worry about us. We're fine."

Haruhi was comforted by Honey's unique blend of childishness and maturity, as she was sure he meant her to be.

Mori gave Haruhi a small smile. "As I said."

Haruhi gave him one in return. She was grateful he deflected Honey's questioning.

Honey glanced between the two of them. "So, how'd you two end up going to the wedding together?"

Mori replied while she tried to think of a response. "She should have someone there to look out for her, so I asked to be her escort."

Honey nodded his head. "That's a good idea. Someone might take exception to her being there and harass her."

Haruhi was actually startled. That was along similar lines of what she was thinking about earlier, just more immediate. _Is this why Kyouya-senpai didn't want me to go?_

Honey seemed to mistake the reason for her surprise. "Don't worry, Haru-chan. Takashi will take care of you. And the rest of us will look out for you, too."

And _that_ was exactly what she had been worried about; she didn't want to cause trouble for her friends. Mori seemed to understand what she was really worried about. He wrapped an arm around her. She liked his closeness and assurance, and leaned into him.

Mori hummed his agreement with Honey. "It'll be fine."

There was a pause in conversation while Haruhi enjoyed Mori's warmth and comfort. Honey kept looking at the two of them. "Umm… are you-"

Mori quickly interrupted. "Mitsukuni."

Haruhi realized how it looked and quickly sat up, blushing. She had blushed more on this trip than for the rest of her life. All of it because of Mori. _And when did we become so comfortable holding each other?_

Mori also straightened up. "When are you going to ask Reiko-san?" It was almost as if that was what he interrupted Honey for. Haruhi still felt a little awkward, though.

However, Honey didn't seem to think anything was wrong with what Mori just did. He quickly grinned. "To Kyou-chan's wedding? Or to her own?" he asked cheekily.

Haruhi was surprised. While they had been dating for quite a while, she didn't realize they had gotten to that point in their relationship. "Honey-senpai, you're going to ask Reiko-san to marry you?" Haruhi slowly started to smile. That was wonderful news. She knew they would be happy together.

Honey nodded his head. "I was thinking of asking her soon, but with Kyou-chan's wedding so soon, I think I'll wait a bit."

"Does she have any idea?" she asked.

"I don't think so. I really hope she'll be surprised." Honey was beaming. He then went on to how he wanted to propose. He was combining things they both liked for it. "And the restaurant manager already agreed with my plans. He even helped me with a few ideas."

Honey's happiness infected Haruhi. It helped take away a lot of the bitterness of the last couple of days. The conversation lasted until they pulled up to Haruhi's place.

As the car rolled to a stop, she tried to give a lighthearted goodbye. "Thank you for the ride, guys. I have to admit this has been a memorable vacation. I really enjoyed being with you guys one last time before college starts."

Honey sweetly replied, "It was fun for us, too, Haru-chan."

Haruhi stepped out and got her suitcase and the bag with her dress in it. Mori got out behind Haruhi and took the suitcase from her.

"I'll bring this up for you," he said and started walking toward the apartment stairs before she could even think of protesting. But she decided to let it go. There was no use arguing when he already won.

She joined him quickly. Haruhi smiled at Mori, albeit a little shyly. "I really have to thank you. And not just for this. You've been a big help these last couple of days. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Haruhi. I'll always be there for you."

He had told her that before, but it reminded Haruhi more of the conversation she overheard last night. And she wasn't sure what he meant. _It almost sounded as if… nah, he was just being the wonderful friend he's always been. There was no way he likes me as I do for him, especially after I slept with Kyouya._

"Thanks, Mori-senpai." She felt a little awkward, so she said the first thing she could think of. "Umm… I guess I'll see you for the wedding."

Mori spoke as she unlocked her door. "Haruhi, I'd like to talk with you before then. I know you want to go in and relax, but would you be free in a couple of days?"

She was a little surprised. "Sure, Senpai. Can I call you later? I'll need to see what my dad's up to first."

Mori nodded his head.

But she wanted to find out why. "But what did you want to talk about?"

He just looked at her for a minute before he answered her. "It's regarding why I asked to escort you to the wedding."

"Oh, okay." She wasn't sure why he needed to talk with her about it. Once again, she was left in the dark, but she was patient; she would find out soon enough. "Well then, I'll call you tomorrow, since Dad's working tonight. And thanks again for everything." She couldn't help but repeat.

But he didn't seem to mind since he just gave her a smile and patted her head. Although, it sort of felt more intimate than his usual pats, more of a caress. It gave her the courage to give him a hug goodbye. She felt a little warmer inside, a little happier, when he returned it.

Mori then stepped back and said, "I'll wait for your call. Have a good night."

"Thanks. You, too." Haruhi smiled and waved goodbye as he got in the car and left.

…

The second day home, Ranka interrogated Haruhi about the weekend. She left out the parts that would upset him. He didn't need to know and she would take care of herself and her friends. A couple of days later, she and her dad had spent the day together, doing stuff they both enjoyed. Between college starting soon and Kyouya's wedding, they weren't going to have a lot of time for just the two of them.

He hadn't been invited to the wedding since he wasn't _that_ close to Kyouya or part of the social elite. He hadn't minded too much, since he seemed aware of the type of people who'd be attending. He had been happy when Haruhi told him that Mori was taking her. Haruhi thought that her dad assumed Mori would protect her. If so, she thought that he had correctly predicted Mori's character, recalling their conversation in the car.

The next day, Mori came over. He'd said he had to do some work with his father and wouldn't be able to come until that evening, so, he offered to bring take out for them. Haruhi was looking forward to him coming by. She had been thinking about the hints that Kyouya, Mori and Honey had unintentionally given. They had indicated that there might be a need to worry about her attending Kyouya's wedding. She wanted to ask Mori if he actually knew anything. Fortunately, her dad had work so she could talk about it without worrying about him overreacting.

They kept the conversation light while they ate.

"So, what was it that you were doing today?" Haruhi eventually asked.

"My father was reviewing our family's businesses with me."

"Really?" Haruhi was interested. He didn't talk about his family too often.

Mori smiled. "In addition to our dojos, we have a few companies we manage under the Haninozuka's umbrella corporation. My father is Uncle Yorihisa's vice president and he oversees the Morinozuka companies as the head of the family. I was reviewing them."

She knew they were rich and that money had to come from somewhere, but Haruhi was surprised at the extent of the two families' business involvement. "But I thought you were going into law," Haruhi half asked, half stated.

"I am. I am learning corporate law. The plan is for me to eventually head at least one, if not both, families' legal departments. I may someday take over my father's position, but that is very far in the future. But no matter what, I'll still need to know my family's interests."

"Wow. That's a lot." Haruhi was even more surprised at Mori's eventual roles.

He smiled at her. "It's not as much as it seems. I'm still only in college, and I'm not as business oriented as Kyouya. I just get small updates on our family every quarter. It's my father who has all the work. Right now I'm satisfied with learning law."

"But still, I'm impressed." Haruhi smiled at him. "And I know you'll have no problem when the time comes for your next steps," she said with confidence.

She truly believed it. _He is such an amazing man._ In a split second, she wondered what it would be like to be his wife, to be at the side of such an intelligent and powerful family head. She had a brief thrill at the idea. She quickly brought herself back to reality. She was putting the cart before a horse she didn't even have. _We're not even dating. He doesn't think of me in that way. It's just that Kyouya is getting married and Honey is planning to propose that put the idea in my head. Stop thinking foolish thoughts_, she chided herself.

Since they were finished eating, Haruhi started putting away the leftovers. Mori followed her, carrying their dishes. He helped her put away the food. Then, he helped her with the dishes, her washing, him rinsing and drying, and they stood so close that their arms brushed against each other. She didn't move to give them space to work, and she noticed he didn't, either. She was enjoying the little thrill she got every time they touched. When she handed him the last plate, he grabbed her fingers instead of the plate. It startled her enough that she dropped it in the water, splashing both of them.

"Sorry." She was embarrassed about what happened. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable; she was enjoying his company.

She turned and grabbed a towel so Mori could dry himself. When she turned back, she was surprised at the splash of water in her face. She looked at him in disbelief, but he only had a grin of mischief on.

"No problem, Haruhi." His grin dared her to get back at him. So she did.

The war didn't last long. First, there was no way she could win again him, and second, they didn't want to make too much of a mess. She didn't want to spend all evening cleaning up and Mori didn't have a change of clothes.

While they were relaxing, Mori brought up the subject that brought him over in the first place. "Haruhi, why did you accept my offer to go with you?"

"Well, you and Kyouya-senpai seemed to think it was a good idea. I trust you. And I thought it would be nice to go with you." she replied, trying hard not to blush. That was the closest she would get to admitting that she wanted to spend time with him as if it was a date. "But I'd like to ask why you guys think I'd need someone with me?"

He leaned toward her. "We care about you. I care. I wouldn't want to see anything happen to you."

She focused on the last part instead of wondering how much he cared. "What could happen to me? I mean, I understand that the people there may not be the nicest people, but I don't understand your concern."

Mori hesitated for only a moment before answering. "The people who would attend aren't always friends. Even those who are still wouldn't let that friendship interfere with advancing themselves. You had a taste of it when Tamaki's grandmother tried to remove you from Ouran. If they thought it would be in their best interests, most attending would do the same, some would take even stronger measures.

"If you were to go by yourself, our friendships with you wouldn't cause them to hesitate enough to prevent them from causing you trouble for their own causes. Remember, these people don't hold friendships very high. I think Kyouya is worried about them." Here, he hesitated again. "However, even just attending with me as a friend wouldn't necessarily give you too much protection."

He paused, studying her face. For some reason, her heart started beating faster from how he was looking at her. She wasn't sure what he was looking for, and she waited for him to continue.

"I was hoping you'd agree to go as my date," he said quietly.

Haruhi's breath caught in her throat. And the next moment, she berated herself for misunderstanding. _Mori simply wants to protect me._

Before she could give her answer, however, Mori spoke again. "I have wanted to ask you out for a while."

She couldn't believe what she just heard. _Did Mori _really_ just ask me out? As a real date? Does that mean he feels the same about me?_ Haruhi quickly brought her hand up to cover her open mouth.

And she could see a hint of nervousness in his face. "Haruhi?"

She realized that he wanted some kind of answer. She nodded her head. Slowly, she lowered her hand and a big smile plastered itself on her face. "I would like that, Mori-senpai, very much."

Mori's face melted into relief and happiness. He reached over and took her hand, and used that to pull her to him. He then wrapped his arms around her. "I had hoped, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to."

Mori's chest muffled Haruhi's response slightly. "Same here. It's why I was so upset last weekend, but I couldn't tell you."

Mori rested his head on hers. "I understand, but only your feelings could keep me away. I worried that Kyouya had gotten your heart."

"No, there is nothing more than friendship between us. You don't have to worry about that. To be honest, I have been thinking of you for while, too." Haruhi was embarrassed to admit it, but she still wanted to tell him, to comfort him. She felt him tighten his arms around her.

"Would you be willing to go on a real date with me, tomorrow?" Mori asked after a few minutes of just holding her.

Haruhi nodded her head. "Just not something too fancy, please."

"Anything my girlfriend wants, she gets."

Haruhi pulled back to look at him, pleased. "Girlfriend? I like the sound of that."

Mori had a smile on his face, too. "Good."

Then, his smile faded and he looked at her with such intensity that Haruhi's breath was taken yet again. She wondered if he was going to kiss her. He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. However, he only exhaled and pulled her back into another hug. She didn't mind; she liked the feeling. The strength of his arms, the warmth of his body, the caress of his breath and the beat of his heart all conspired to make her feel total happy.

He eventually pulled back. "I should get going; it's getting late."

Haruhi reluctantly let go of him. "Alright."

When Mori stood up, he said, "Don't worry, I'll see you tomorrow. Would eleven o'clock be okay?"

She nodded her head and then walked him to the door. They shared another hug before separating for the night.

As she got ready for bed, she thought about the night. She couldn't believe her good luck that he returned her feelings. She noticed that her feelings for him had gotten a lot stronger since last weekend. She really thought that she could be in love with him. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking about it.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: I am so excited about this story and the responses that I couldn't wait to post the next chapter. Thank you for everyone who is supporting this story and I love the feed back in the reviews. If anyone sees something that needs to be addressed before the next chapter comes out, please let me know and I will fix it before then. Please enjoy this next chapter._

* * *

The next day, Haruhi was so happy to see him. She still couldn't get over that he liked her, too. He showed up in his own car and handed her into the passenger seat, although, he wouldn't tell her where he was taking her. The only thing he told her was that she'd enjoy it. She was excited. She actually enjoyed not knowing where she was being taken this time, verses the times she was kidnapped by the guys. This time, she was a willing participant.

Haruhi then looked over at him, wanting to see how he was doing. He seemed to be enjoying himself, too. He had a smile on his face.

He noticed her looking at him. "What?"

"I'm just wondering what's making you smile so much."

"Ah. I like driving."

"Do you drive often?" Haruhi was curious.

"Not as often as I'd like. There's not really enough room to park at the university, so our chauffer takes me." He shrugged his shoulders as he said that. He stopped at a red light and looked over at her, still with that contented look. "I'm also really glad you said 'yes'."

Haruhi smiled also. "Me, too."

Shortly, she noticed that the area seemed familiar. A couple more blocks and she knew where she was. "We're going to the University?"

Mori nodded his head. It seemed that since she had guessed, he opened up about his plans. "I thought I'd show you to a few places that you wouldn't have seen on the orientation tour."

"That sounds great." Haruhi was touched that he really thought about what she'd like.

When they got there, Mori led her to the Law Department's building. He gave her a tour of the classrooms and the student study room. He introduced a couple of the instructors, including his mentor. Tsuchida-sensei was an older gentleman who was very kind and seemed _very_ sharp. Haruhi liked him and told herself to sign up for whatever classes he taught that she could.

Then, Mori introduced her to a couple of students who were unlucky enough to still have projects to work on. They seemed surprised that he was showing someone around, but they still seemed friendly enough to Haruhi. She was glad to meet them.

After, Mori took her to the cafeteria. Haruhi thought it was amazing. It had a huge selection of food, and she could go back for seconds on what she'd liked best. She realized that she probably would _have_ to start some kind of exercise regime over and above all the walking she'd do in the course of a day, or she'd end up over-weight.

Then, he showed her a few more places. He took her to the library, where he pointed out the law section. He brought her to the campus dojo, where he practiced in the morning. He showed her a few other special interest sites; her favorites were a beautiful pond and a Haninozuka memorial tree that was over a century and a half old.

At the end of the afternoon, Haruhi realized that even if it had been unconventional, it was the best kind of date that she could ask for. She had gotten to spend time with Mori without wasting it doing something frivolous and wasting money, and she got to know him better. Everyone he spoke with at the department had respected him and seemed to genuinely like him. He even told her about some of the idiosyncrasies she should watch out for, from either the professors or the students.

She realized he was taking time to watch out for her. He gave her information that would make her the most prepared she could be. She was humbled when she realized everything he was doing for her. He really cared for her.

When they were seated back in Mori's car, she turned to him. "Thank you, Mori-senpai, for today. I loved it. That was really helpful, a lot better than orientation."

Mori smiled back at her. "I'm glad. However, I have a request."

"Sure, what is it?"

He took her hand to hold in his. "Please call me 'Takashi'."

Haruhi was slightly distracted by the feel of his hand; it felt like well-worn suede, soft and warm. It took a moment for her to process what he had said. And only a second more to understand the meaning. She could feel her cheeks warm up, but she was happy that he had asked her to do so. "Sure, Takashi-senpai," she said shyly. Even though it didn't show, it was a little hard for her to say it without hesitation. It was something she'd have to get used to, something she _wanted_ to get used to, to be that little bit closer to him.

She blushed even harder when he brought her hand up to his lips. They left tingles that ran up her arm. She hadn't been expecting such a romantic gesture. Mori just smiled at her as he released her hand.

He didn't say anything else as he drove her back home. Haruhi didn't mind. She liked how the silence wasn't strained; it was comfortable. She was happy just watching him. She loved the little smile he had as he drove. It was obvious just how much he liked driving. But she wondered if just a little of it was because of her. She hoped so.

Eventually, Mori parked in front of her apartment. He got out with her. She slowly walked up to her door, not wanting the day to end. He walked with his hand on her back all the way, and she was having trouble forming a coherent thought. She was totally focused on his hand. It was sending electric tingles all through her body and she just knew that she was blushing hard. But she did not want him to remove his hand. It felt really good. He dropped his hand when she got to the door and unlocked it. She missed its warmth.

She turned to him but wasn't sure what to say. Fortunately, Mori saved her.

"I hope you enjoyed today," he said quietly.

Haruhi quickly nodded her head. "Very much so. Thank you. What about you?"

He smiled. "I did, too. I always enjoy being with you." He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Haruhi, would it be too forward of me if I asked you for a kiss?"

Haruhi was thrilled but also nervous. She really wanted to, but she couldn't find her voice to answer him. Fortunately, her body seemed able to act for her. Her hand lifted of its own accord. She watched as it reached up to Mori's face. Her fingertips brushed his jaw. She saw his teeth clench. She smiled at that. She affected him just as much as he affected her. She felt his hand reach back to thread into her hair and felt the tingles from it go down her spine. She waited for him to lean down, but he didn't.

"Haruhi?" he whispered.

Apparently, he was still waiting for permission. Haruhi was touched at his gentlemanliness. "Takashi-senpai," she whispered back. She was proud she remembered to use his given name. "Kiss me."

Even though permission was granted, he didn't rush. His other hand came up, grasped the side of her waist, and pulled her closer. Both of her hands came to rest on his chest for balance. She could feel his heart pounding under them. He wet his lips as he slowly bent his head toward her. She could feel her own pulse speed up. She felt like she was on fire and had electricity coursing through her veins. Her eyes closed by themselves when he was about an inch away and her head tilted up to meet him. Then, she felt his lips on hers. They were warm and _so_ soft. They brushed against hers, once, twice. She caught his rhythm and caressed his in time. The fire and electricity exploded. She reached up to his neck and pulled him closer, and felt his arm slide around her waist. Impossibly, the feelings increased.

She couldn't take it anymore. She pulled back. She suddenly noticed she was breathing hard. She couldn't open her eyes just yet.

"Wow." It was all she could say.

"Yeah."

She finally opened her eyes to look at him. He was breathing hard, too. She smiled at him. He smiled back. They released each other. He reached up and smoothed out her hair. Haruhi was suddenly embarrassed at the reason for the gesture. She ducked her head.

"Haruhi," she heard. Then she felt his fingers on her cheek again. He seemed to like doing that. She lifted her head back up. "Thank you. For the perfect ending to the perfect day."

Haruhi smiled at him. "No, thank _you_. And it _was_ perfect."

Mori smiled with her. "Well, then. I should get going. I'll pick you up early on Saturday."

"Alright. I'll be ready." She waited for him to leave, not wanting to be rude.

He lifted his hand to her face again, and this time he brushed his thumb along her cheek. He quickly bent and kissed the top of her head. When he straightened, he said, "Go on inside. I'll see you Saturday."

She felt herself blush again. "Okay. See you Saturday." She gave him one last smile before she went inside.

Once inside, she leaned against the door, smiling. She closed her eyes and relived their kiss. She still felt the tingles from it. She was falling hard for Mori.

She jumped when she heard a throat clearing. She opened her eyes to see her dad sitting in the room, staring at her. She knew she was in for an interrogation.

"Hi, Dad." Try as she might, she couldn't get the smile to go away.

"Hi, honey. What are you smiling about?"

Well, that was actually quite a calm question. She answered truthfully. "Mori-sen-, I mean, Takashi-senpai."

Ranka raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really? What happened?"

Maybe if she just told him, he'd let her be. "He kissed me. Last night, he asked me out. Today was our first date." For some reason, it wasn't as hard to tell him as she'd thought.

Ranka jumped up. Haruhi could see the excitement written all over his face. "You've got a boyfriend? And it's Morinozuka Takashi?" He let out a squeal.

She nodded, smile still in place. He rushed her and swung her around in his exuberance, squealing all the while. Eventually, he calmed down. "Well, I don't have to ask if you're happy. I can see it. If you're happy, I'm happy. Do you want to tell me about your date?"

So Haruhi sat down with him and they talked for a bit.

…

The next day, Haruhi got a call from the twins. Apparently, they were bored and wanted someone to hang out with them. They invited her to the mall. Haruhi didn't mind. Her dad was working and she didn't have much to do around the apartment.

When they got to the mall, they quickly headed for the arcade.

Hikaru quickly grabbed Haruhi's hand, dragging her to a racing simulator. "C'mon, I'll race ya," he said.

Haruhi laughed at him. "Why? You know you'll win. I'm no good at this stuff."

"Aw, c'mon. Have some fun," Kaoru said as he got in on the other side of Hikaru.

"Fine, just tell me what to do."

Hikaru leaned over and showed her what the controls did. Haruhi paid attention, but applying his instructions proved difficult. She ended up spinning out and crashing several times. But she had fun and played a few more races with them, even if she did come in dead last for all of them.

Hikaru then decided, "Okay, let's try something else."

Haruhi nodded her head. She got out and watched them look over the games.

"How about Dance, Dance Revolution?" Kaoru asked.

"Sure," Hikaru replied. "Haruhi, you don't mind not playing, do you? It's only a two person."

"There is no way you're getting me on that." Haruhi was adamant. It was one thing to learn to waltz for the Host Club, but she was _not_ going to make a fool of herself on that thing. "I'll watch you guys."

Hikaru just shrugged and joined Kaoru on the platform. Haruhi was in stitches by the end. It wasn't that they were bad at it, quite the opposite, but watching them was quite funny. They put in arm and body movements with it, so it looked like they were actually dancing. Haruhi loved it.

"Okay," Kaoru said. They were only slightly out of breath, and considering how much effort they put into it, Haruhi wondered how often they worked out. "Haruhi's turn to play something."

Hikaru looked around. "How about that one?" He pointed to one that you had to time things to get a prize.

Haruhi shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

She looked at the controls, which were quite simple. It took her two tries before she won.

"Holy crap. That's awesome," she heard as she bent down to get it. It was hand-held game.

"What?" she asked.

"Almost no one wins these," Hikaru explained.

"Yeah, I mean, we've never seen anyone do it. That's awesome," Kaoru said.

"Well, if no one ever wins, why did you want me to play it?" Haruhi was a little annoyed. _Were they just trying to set me up for their own amusement?_ She wouldn't put it past them.

"We just thought you'd enjoy something simple like this, that's all."

She looked at Hikaru. He seemed genuine. She decided to let them off the hook. "Okay."

"Hey, I'm thirsty. Let's go get something," Kaoru said.

"Yeah, let's go."

Suddenly, the guys were at the exit. She swore she only looked down for a second to check if she left anything. _How did they move that fast?_

"Hey, come on, slow-poke," Hikaru teased.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Haruhi ran after them.

As they walked to the food court, Hikaru and Kaoru started talking about different girls they could take as their date. Apparently, they had ruled out any of their classmates and narrowed it down to the ones their mother works with.

"Well, who's in the country right now?" Hikaru asked his brother.

Kaoru had his phone open to the personnel info for their mother's company. "Hold on; I'm checking." He was navigating through different pages.

Haruhi was surprised that they still hadn't asked anyone. "You guys realize his wedding is in _four days_, right?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "We know, we know. It took a while to narrow it down at least the type of person, since there wasn't anyone who specifically stood out. And then, we had to wait to get Mother's approval since it affects her business. She said to run our choices by her before we ask them. So now we just have to find someone worthy."

"Got it!" Kaoru shouted.

Hikaru immediately scooted closer to Kaoru, trying to see the screen, too. "Well?"

"Hold on a sec. Oh, wow! You'll never guess who's here!"

Hikaru jostled Kaoru. "Come on! Just tell me!"

"Claudia and Sonia!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Oh man! Sonia! Okay, text Mother. She's just _gotta_ say yes."

Haruhi was bemused at what she just witnessed. _Who are they? Why are Kaoru and Hikaru excited about them?_ "Uh, guys?" Hikaru looked up at her. "Who are Claudia and Sonia-san?" It was the simpler question.

Hikaru answered since Kaoru still had his attention on the phone. "They're Mother's top models. Their popular enough that no one would find fault with them as our dates. And they wouldn't say no because it's to an exclusive event."

Kaoru finished with his text and looked up at Haruhi. "Well, they could, but it's not very likely." A smirk spread across his face as he glanced over at his brother. "Not only that, but Hikaru has had a crush on Sonia since he first met her a couple of months ago. He-"

That was as far as he got. Hikaru shouted at him and started pummeling his "dear", "sweet" brother to repay all his "kindness". Kaoru defended himself, and general chaos reigned. She was more than a little embarrassed. They were in public, for goodness' sake. Haruhi quickly got out of their way. Who knows if one would try to use her in some way against the other. She didn't want to take the chance, especially not with Kyouya's wedding so close. She did _not_ want to show up with bruises.

But it was that thought, and not their behavior, that got her to open her mouth. "Guys, cut it out! You don't want to show up to Kyouya-senpai's wedding with bruises, do you? And what would your dates think?" She didn't say anything about their inappropriate behavior. She knew they didn't care about it.

Fortunately, they heard her and stopped. At least they didn't pull their 'brotherly love' act anymore, or at least not for her. Apparently, they had developed other ways of dealing with each embarrassing the other. Haruhi wasn't sure which was better. Hikaru now decided that he'd walk on the other side of Haruhi and ignore his brother.

Kaoru just watched Hikaru. He sighed and looked over at Haruhi. She wasn't sure she liked the smile he directed at her. He was trying too hard to make it seem innocent. "So, since you're going with Mori-senpai, does that mean you're dating?"

She knew it. He was trying to embarrass her. Well, she'd tell him the truth and shock him, instead. "Yes, we are."

That also shook up Hikaru. They both stopped dead in their tracks. Now, they were looking at her with their mouths open. "What?!" they yelled in unison.

She smiled at them. "Takashi-senpai and I are dating." She purposefully used his given name, since he had asked her to do so and knew it would hammer home her point.

Hikaru just stood there unmoving, silent, still staring, mouth still open. She started to feel uneasy. _Did I really hurt him? I thought he knew that we would only ever be friends. I thought he was okay with that._

Kaoru looked back and forth between them. "When did you start dating?" he asked.

"Well, he asked me out two days ago. He took me on a date yesterday," she replied.

"Do you really like him?" Kaoru asked next.

"Of course I do. I would never lead someone on like that. That would just be cruel." That was why she never went on even one date with Tamaki or Hikaru. It would have given them false hope. It really would have been cruel to them.

She was watching Hikaru. He seemed to be struggling with himself. Suddenly, he let out a big sigh.

"Hikaru?" she asked.

"Alright."

She just looked at him. She wasn't sure what he meant by that.

"So long as you're happy."

Haruhi felt relieved. He had accepted it.

"It was just a shock. I mean, when you turned me down, I eventually got over it. It's just… I never thought you'd be with any of us, after that. Well, maybe Tamaki-senpai. But still…"

Haruhi quickly shook her head. "Tamaki-senpai did ask me, but I basically told him what I told you. I just saw him as a friend." _And I wouldn't ever say so, but I sort of felt like I was more of a substitute mother for him. I can understand why, he didn't have anyone else to really fulfill that role, but that is DEFINITELY no way to form a relationship. It's just wrong._

She saw Kaoru shaking his head. "Somehow, I'm not too surprised."

Both she and Hikaru looked at him, puzzled.

"I don't know. You and Mori-senpai… You seem to just fit together," he explained. He made a motion with his hands as if scooting things together.

Haruhi started to feel better.

Hikaru also seemed to be feeling better. "Alright, so where'd he take you?" he asked. They started walking again.

Haruhi shook her head, unsurprised at the question. They always wanted to know all of her business. "He took me to the University. He showed me around the Law Department, introduced me to some of the professors. We ate at the cafeteria and then he showed me the library and the dojo and a few other places, and then we went home. I really liked it."

Kaoru started snickering. Hikaru quickly joined him. Haruhi looked them with a smile, but she was confused about why they were laughing.

"What?" she asked.

Kaoru was outright laughing now. Hikaru, however, got himself together enough to say, "He's right. You do fit together. You're both nerds!" And then Hikaru lost it.

"Hey!" But Haruhi also joined in the laughter. She knew they were just teasing her, but also that they understood that she and Mori had similar interests. She was happy.

…

After getting drinks, they wandered up and down the corridors. Hikaru suddenly started laughing. Haruhi was wondering if he had lost his mind. He pulled her into the store. It was a store full of printed artwork. He quickly pulled out one from the front of the store. It was a painting of realistic ootoro traditionally arranged. When Kaoru saw it, he started laughing, too.

"Oh man, I am so getting this."

Kaoru apparently agreed with him. "I can't wait to see the reactions of the others when they see it."

Haruhi was lost. "Guys, it's just a plate of ootoro."

"No, it's a picture of you," Hikaru explained.

Haruhi looked at it again… and got it. "Guys! That's mean." They were thinking of all the times they teased her about wanting it.

"Oh, come on, Haruhi. It's funny." Apparently, that was Kaoru's attempt at defending his brother.

Haruhi gave them a sour look. "You guys are just making fun of me."

But her protest didn't stop Hikaru from going up to the counter.

"No, we're not, really. Yeah, it's funny, but only because our memories. It's a way for us to always remember you and the old days. We won't be able to see you every day anymore, so we'll have this with us and still think of you," Kaoru said.

Haruhi was touched by his explanation. "Oh. I'll miss you guys, too," she said with a little smile.

Kaoru gave her a quick one-armed hug. "We'll still see each other."

Haruhi smiled, and they joined Hikaru at the counter.

As she was completing the sale, the lady kept looking at Hikaru. Haruhi couldn't blame her since he hadn't stopped chuckling. At least Kaoru had only giggled for a short time.

Haruhi had pity on the poor woman. "It just reminds them of a joke with me and ootoro," she said with a smile.

The lady smiled back at her as she handed Hikaru the now-wrapped picture. "Sounds like there's a story to that one. I hope you have a good day."

"Thanks, you too." Haruhi smiled at her.

It was getting late, and the drinks hadn't done much to fill them. So, they decided that it was time to go eat. Haruhi walked out of the mall behind them. Kaoru was talking on the phone and Hikaru was trying to listen in.

"-That's great, Mother. - Yeah, I'll tell him." Kaoru chuckled. "Are you sure about that? - Oh, alright. - Thank you. - Alright, we'll see you soon." With that, he hung up. "Well, Mother gave her approval and already asked them on our behalf, and they accepted. So we have dates."

"Awesome!" Hikaru was happy.

"Yeah, well, Mother's not too happy with us about the short notice since the girls don't have time to find appropriate clothes. She said she had to offer them some from her newest collection and is making us pay for them to 'make amends', as she put it."

Hikaru face fell at that. He rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, crap. Well, she kinda does have a point. So… alright."

Kaoru screwed his face up. "I don't think we have a choice."

"Yeah."

Haruhi looked at the both of them. "Serves you two right. It really is too close."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Look, let's just get going. We're still taking you out for dinner. Don't think that just because you're dating Mori-senpai, you're not going to hang out with us anymore," Hikaru said, changing the subject.

"Of course not. We're still friends." Haruhi smiled at them.

"Good," Kaoru said. Then they pulled her into the car to go eat.


	6. Chapter 6

Haruhi did her hair simply for the wedding. She swept her bangs to one side. On the opposite side, she pulled her hair back and pinned it with a simple silver comb. The rest she left down. She found herself thinking an uncharacteristically girlish thought. _I wonder if Mori will like it. _She was glad, though, that she didn't have the twins doing her hair. They had tried to convince her during dinner the other night, but she held firm. The day would be busy enough without the additional chaos of the twins. She had a sneaking suspicion that they had just wanted a chance to harass both her and Mori at the same time. She double-checked herself in the mirror.

"Haruhi, come sit down," Ranka called. "You're going to wear yourself out before you get there and you're not even the one getting married. You look beautiful, so relax."

Haruhi screwed up her face at her father, but sat beside him. "I just want to make sure everything looks good. I don't want anyone to find fault with me about something. I don't want cause any trouble for anyone."

He patted her hand. "Honey, if someone does, then they'd do it no matter how perfect you look, how expensive your clothes, or how stylish your hair. Just try to stay away from that type. I know Mori-kun will take care of you. If he doesn't, let me know and I'll have a talk with him." Haruhi knew her father was probably planning on talking with Mori before they left, anyway. He smiled at her. "Relax. Nothing is going to happen. You'll have fun."

Haruhi smiled at him. "I hope so," she said, just as they heard a knock at the door.

Ranka jumped up to answer it before she could. "Ah, good morning, Mori-kun. Come in, come in." He held the door open for Mori.

Mori stepped in. "Ah, good morning, Ranka-san, Haruhi."

Haruhi was standing next to her father. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. _Oh, wow. He looks really good in his suit._ "Good morning, Takashi-senpai."

"Are you all set for the wedding? Haruhi's a little nervous about going." Ranka gave Mori a fatherly glare. "I trust you'll take care of her." Haruhi was a little annoyed that her father offered that information so freely. But was pleased that Mori kept looking at her. _Maybe he does like it._

Mori barely turned to give a slight bow to him. "Always, Ranka-san." He returned his eyes to Haruhi. "You look beautiful."

She knew she blushed bright red. She could feel her cheeks burn. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Mori blushed, also, as if he couldn't believe what he had just said. He cleared his throat and said, "I am ready when you are."

"I guess I'm ready."

Ranka looked at the two of them. "Not before I get a picture! You two look too nice." He swept up the camera from the table. "Come on, pose nicely."

Haruhi sighed. She didn't move, but Mori moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

But Ranka pouted. "You can do better than that, Mori-kun."

She was a little surprised at how forward her father was being. "Dad, it's al-" She stopped when she felt his hands move to her waist. She could feel a blush starting again. Now she was surprised at how forward Mori was being in front of her father. But she liked the feel of them there. Once again, the tingles appeared.

Ranka smiled. "That's better." And he took several pictures.

Finally, they were able to make their escape. Once in the car - he had the chauffer this time - Haruhi settled close to Mori.

"Sorry about my father. He doesn't see me dressed up that often. He got almost a dozen pictures of me earlier," she said ruefully.

Mori smiled at her. "It's no problem. I understand. I remember how we had to force you to dress up a couple of times."

Haruhi screwed up her face. "What's with everyone having 'fond' memories of my more embarrassing moments?" she complained. Since Mori looked confused, she told him about the twins and the picture.

Mori laughed under his breath. He put his arm around her, drawing her close. Once again, she felt the electric tingles run from her shoulders and arm from where he was touching her. She liked the feeling. She snuggled closer.

"You're so warm," she said.

His hand played with her hair. She looked up at him. He looked serious. The back of his fingers from his other hand caressed her cheek. She smiled at him. _Is he thinking of kissing me again?_ She wouldn't be opposed if he did.

He apparently had other thoughts on his mind. "I don't want to hurt Kyouya."

Haruhi was thrown for a moment. She had to drag her mind around to the new topic. "Ah, I don't either."

"I'd like to downplay our relationship. At least during the wedding. I'd like to let him think it's still only to protect you. We can tell him later, when he's not so stressed."

Haruhi winced, both at the reminder and because of the twins. She addressed the latter. "I don't know if that's possible. Hikaru and Kaoru already know. I told them when we were at the mall. They'll probably try harassing us, me especially." Mori was quiet, presumably thinking. "And if we ask them not to, we wouldn't be able to give them the reason."

But Mori seemed to have come up with a solution. His face cleared from his slight frown. "Has Tamaki contacted you about us dating?" At the shake of her head, he continued, "Then, I have a way. I'll speak to them as soon as we get there."

Haruhi was curious what it was and waited for him to say. When he didn't, she asked, "You won't tell me?"

Mori grinned and shook his head.

Haruhi narrowed her eyes. "You like keeping me in the dark." He did the same thing for their date.

"It's cute seeing you figure it out," he replied.

Haruhi huffed and crossed her arms. _But he said it was cute…_ A smile slowly formed. Then she felt Mori tighten his arm around her shoulders and plant a kiss on top of her head. She blushed when he did that. "You can't do that when we get there."

"Then I should do so while I can," he replied.

He then ran his fingers down her cheek, again, and dropped a quick kiss on the same cheek. She blushed once again. She liked the way he showed affection. She felt him lean back in the seat. She settled in beside him, enjoying the silence. She used it to think of what Mori could say to keep the twins silent. However, she was finding it difficult to concentrate since Mori kept running his thumb over her shoulder. It felt so nice.

She gathered her thoughts. _He asked about Tamaki, if he had called me. Why? Wait, if Tamaki knew then he would have called me to give me grief about it. He would make a big deal about me dating anyone, especially if it was one of our friends. If he didn't know and then found out at the wedding, he'd make a huge scene there_. She turned to look at Mori. "You're going to use Tamaki's reaction to keep them quiet, aren't you, so Kyouya's wedding will go well."

Mori smiled at her. "I knew you'd get it eventually."

Haruhi felt a childish need to stick her tongue out at him, but refrained. She was more mature than that. She just sat quiet for the last few minutes of the ride. Mori didn't seem to mind; he just kept his arm around her.

…

Once they arrived, Mori advised Haruhi to stay with him unless necessary. She agreed. She didn't want to be caught by herself if some unpleasantness occurred.

He quickly tracked down the twins and explained the situation as they had discussed. Hikaru took some convincing since he wanted to harass Tamaki and didn't think Kyouya would mind, but Haruhi reminded him that he was actually representing his mother and her business since he brought her top model, and anything that affected the wedding could affect _it_ by his close association with both the groom and the best man. The best man acting how they expected definitely would adversely affect the wedding and their mother would be furious that they dragged her business into it. Not to mention, the reaction Kyouya's father would have if such a scene were to occur at his son's wedding. Those two arguments got him to agree.

After they left the twins, Mori leaned down to whisper, "That was a fine argument, Counselor. I can't wait to see how you do in the next few years," causing her to blush.

Mori led her around the people standing talking to each other to their seats. Kyouya, by way of apology for his behavior, had given everyone prime seats, one row behind his family. Honey and Reiko were already sitting there, talking quietly. Honey beamed at them when they showed up.

Honey leaned over to whisper to Haruhi. "Congratulations. Takashi told me last night."

Mori quickly hushed him and turned the conversation to something with fewer landmines. Shortly, Hikaru and Kaoru showed up with their dates. It was Haruhi's turn to lean over to whisper. She reminded them to be on best behavior. Claudia and Sonia were very nice. Haruhi was finding it hard not to laugh at Hikaru. He wasn't being obvious about it, but he definitely was interested in Sonia. She almost lost it once when she caught Kaoru's eyes because, by the twinkle in his eyes, Kaoru was having the same problem.

Finally, the ceremony was about to start, saving the situation. She saw the men in the wedding party take their places. She could see Kyouya and Tamaki had their masks on. She wasn't surprised that Kyouya had one, but she was a little with Tamaki. With Tamaki, it was hard to tell, but there was a subtle difference. He wasn't allowing his heart to show on his sleeve. He was restrained in his flamboyance, if that made sense. But she looked at the others, and from their expressions, they saw it too.

She wondered how Kyouya was doing. She hadn't had a chance to speak to him for the last two weeks.

However, she didn't have long to ponder. When the music started playing, she turned with everyone else to look down the aisle. From then on, she could only witness the ceremony that joined Kyouya to Ayame. She hoped they would be happy together.

Afterward, everyone filed over to the reception. Once again, the friends were seated in a prime location, close to the head table. They made little conversation during the first couple of courses. Mori had prepared her for the larger than normal number of courses, so she wasn't too surprised.

Honey eventually commented, "It feels weird not to have Kyou-chan and Tama-chan with us."

"It feels weird to see Kyouya-senpai up there, knowing he's married now," Hikaru replied.

"I know he said we'd still see each other, but would he really make time for us, now that he is?" Kaoru voiced the same worry Haruhi was starting to have.

Honey made his reply with conviction. "Of course he will. He's still Kyou-chan. Being married wouldn't change that, and he loves us. He'll make time."

Haruhi looked down. She really hoped so. She felt her hand being squeezed. She followed the arm up to Mori's eyes. He squeezed her hand again. She returned the gesture and gave him a smile to reassure him that she was fine.

The clear ringing of a glass being tapped pulled everyone's eyes to the wedding party. Tamaki stood there holding his champagne. His speech was typical of him, full of romance, hope and promise. But she could see that he still had his mask up. The speech was something more of what he would have said back in the days of the Host Club to the guests, instead of something from the heart for his best friend's supposed happiest day.

Haruhi mostly ignored it. She knew that, at least on Kyouya's part, the marriage wasn't made on love and knew that he wouldn't have wanted something more personal. Her eyes roamed and landed on Kyouya's father. While he was holding his glass up, his expression was peculiarly blank. She thought it looked more as if he was just playing a part - The Proud Father. Haruhi shook her head. She shouldn't make assumptions. She didn't know him. _Maybe he is just constipated and is trying to hide it?_ A snort escaped her lips at the thought. Fortunately, it was just before the rest of the audience laughed, so it looked like she just knew the punch line ahead.

However, Mori seemed to have caught her wandering eyes. He gave her an inquiring look.

Haruhi gave him a sheepish grin at being caught. "It's nothing. Stupid thought," she whispered to him. He just smiled back at her. She told herself to stay focused on what was happening and made it through the rest of the toasts without any further mishaps.

Then the official dances started. Haruhi and Mori migrated to the side of the room. Neither of them felt comfortable with the crowd that formed to watch. Plus, some of the women were eyeing Mori regardless of Haruhi standing _right next to him_. She didn't want to deal with them trying to poach when the open dancing started.

"Remember, I'm supposed to stay beside you," she said into the silence.

Mori's smile was more of a smirk. He wrapped her arm around his. "Jealous?"

Haruhi wouldn't admit that she was. "Just reminding you why you asked me to go with you in the first place."

Mori just patted her hand. "Don't worry. I'll always be here."

Just then, Kyouya's father stopped in front of them, surprising them. He looked down at Haruhi. "So, you're here with Morinozuka-kun."

She felt Mori stiffen beside her. Haruhi answered. "Yes. I'm his date."

Ootori Yoshio looked her over. "Well, at least you don't stand out." The way he said that made Haruhi think he was degrading her. "And you're worthy of a Morinozuka." He didn't bother to hide his slight sneer.

Haruhi was shocked at his attitude. _Why is he insulting Mori and me?_

Mori bristled beside her. "She is worthy of anyone she deems so. Just as I am."

The Ootori just sniffed. "The Morinozukas have quite an old tie to the Haninozukas, correct? It would be interesting to hear from them. Thank you for attending my son's wedding. Have a good day." With that, he turned and walked away.

It took both of them a while before they could control themselves enough to speak, they were so angry.

Mori was the first to do so. "I think we just found out the reason Kyouya didn't want you to attend."

Haruhi was still in shock. "That- that- How could he? What right does he think he has to try to pass judgment on us?"

Mori grimly answered her. "Apparently, he doesn't look past lineage, for either of us. In my case, he still only thinks of the Morinozukas as the Haninozukas' servants. With that attitude, the Haninozukas won't be doing any business with him much longer." Haruhi looked up at him, surprised. "Although… he wanted to me to pass on a message to them. Maybe they already have cut ties. It would certainly account for the reason he actually spoke to me considering his opinions."

"Oh, Takashi-senpai…" She felt bad about how he was just treated.

He looked down at Haruhi. "Don't worry about me. While it is rare, it's not the first time someone treated me like that. I just refuse to bow down to their expectations." And he smiled at her.

Haruhi smiled back. Even though they were supposed to keep some distance, she gave him a hard hug. She was glad she had done so when he returned it just as hard. _He needed it, too._

"Don't tell anyone about this. I'll speak to Mitsukuni about this incident. He probably won't tell anyone else about it, but he'll look into the reason behind it. Hopefully, nothing more will come of it."

Haruhi was surprised. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"He may try to use you for some sort of leverage. You should be informed, just in case." And then he smiled at her again. "And you didn't have the information to piece this one together."

Haruhi just looked at him in amazement. While she caught his joke about her supposed cuteness, she focused on the first part. "You trust me that much?"

Mori just looked at her, confused.

"You didn't have to tell me. Even if he does try to use me somehow, I wouldn't necessarily have to know all that," she clarified.

Now, he looked a little embarrassed. She was happy he didn't hide his emotions from her, even his embarrassment. "I want you to know about it," was all he would say.

Haruhi wasn't sure how strongly to take that statement to heart, but she still was warmed by his consideration.

The rest of the reception went well. No one else harassed either of them. Haruhi enjoyed dancing with Mori. It was easier for her now that she didn't have to lead. She had one turn each dancing with the others, even Kyouya. She noticed Kyouya's father watching her, especially while she was with Kyouya, but he didn't approach her again. The twins tried to get the couple to do the western wedding customs with mixed results. Kyouya refused to fish out Ayame's garter, but Ayame did throw her bouquet. Haruhi didn't even try to catch it. It wasn't worth the effort in her eyes, fighting all those other women for a bunch of flowers. Instead, she stood with the rest of their friends watching.

Finally, Kyouya and Ayame left for their honeymoon. Haruhi and Mori only stayed for a little while longer. They decided to wait outside for Mori's car to come pick them up.

"Well, today wasn't as bad as I had feared," Haruhi commented.

"Other than that one incident. Did you enjoy yourself?" Mori asked.

"Uh huh. I really enjoyed dancing with you." She smiled shyly up at him.

Mori returned her smile and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm glad." He gazed at her for a little bit. Once again, the back of his fingers brushed her cheek. "Now that the wedding's over and Kyouya's gone, I can do this." He leaned down to her.

_Is he really going to kiss me?_ She felt her pulse speed up as he got closer. She tilted her head up to meet him. His lips just brushed hers and stayed for a moment. It was a much lighter kiss than their first, but it felt more intimate, more loving. She smiled up at him when he straightened up. "That was nice."

Suddenly, she was jerked away from Mori. "Ah!" She flung an arm out to try to catch Mori. Just as quickly as she was separated, she was back in Mori's arms. She clung to Mori with her heart now pounding for a different reason. _What just happened?!_ She looked over her shoulder.

Tamaki stood there with his mouth opening and closing like a fish, his face red.

Now, Haruhi was mad. "What was that for?" she shouted at him. But she couldn't let go of Mori just yet. She needed to feel a little less shaky before she could.

Tamaki threw up a hand to point at her. "What are you doing?" he shouted back.

Mori lifted a hand to rub his face. Haruhi felt just as irritated. "Calm down, Tamaki," Mori said.

"No, I won't! What were you doing?" he asked again. The red in his face still hadn't gone away.

Haruhi took her turn. "No, really, senpai. Calm down." This wasn't how she wanted to tell him, but there wasn't any way around it now. "We like each other. We started dating."

"But- but-" Tamaki sputtered before doing his fish imitation again.

She turned around in Mori's arms but didn't move away. "But what, senpai?" she asked gently. She felt Mori move his hands to her shoulders, giving her support without trying to push Tamaki.

Tamaki's eyes still zeroed in on it. His face crumbled. "But, Haruhi…" His voice broke. "I still love you. I had hoped if I gave you time…" He looked down.

Haruhi felt bad for Tamaki even though she had already told him how she felt about him. "Tamaki-senpai, we had talked about this before. I don't feel anything for you but friendship. Remember?" She waited for some kind of acknowledgement, but he didn't move. "We talked for hours. Remember? I'm sorry but that spark just isn't there. I told you that." Again, she waited. Again, she got nothing. "Senpai…" she whispered.

Finally, she heard him faintly ask, "And he has it?"

Haruhi sighed. "Yes, he does."

Tamaki brought his head up but wouldn't look at them. He nodded stiffly and left.

Haruhi leaned back into Mori. Mori wrapped his arms around her. "Should we go after him?" she asked.

"It'd be better not to. He needs to think it over." He gave her a quick squeeze. "Let's get in the car."

Haruhi jumped; she hadn't noticed it pull up. Mori helped her in. "Arg. That didn't go over well."

Mori just grunted. "I take it he's told you his feelings before?"

"Both him and Hikaru," she replied. "Hikaru at least accepted that I don't return them and moved on. I _thought_ Tamaki-senpai had, too. I tried so hard to get him to." They both sat in silence for a bit. "I'm worried about him. I don't think he's okay." She wasn't sure just how much she should say about her thoughts on Tamaki.

"He needs to go back and see his mother," he said, surprising Haruhi with how closely they thought.

Haruhi agreed. "Do you think he will?"

"Maybe not on his own. I doubt he'd listen to anything I say, but with Kyouya gone, maybe he'll listen to Mitsukuni. I can ask."

"It's only two weeks before the semester starts. Do you think he'll have enough time?"

Mori shrugged. He then pulled her close to snuggle with her. Haruhi gave in to his warmth to lightly doze on the way back.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day after the wedding, Mori called her.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Yes, what's up?" Haruhi replied, intrigued.

"My parents wanted to meet you. They invited you over for dinner. Would you like to come over?"

"Oh, uh, sure. I'll come over." Haruhi was surprised. "Why do they… Oh, you told them we were dating?"

Mori chuckled. "That was fast." Haruhi grunted at him, which just made him chuckle harder. "Yes, I told them."

Haruhi suddenly got nervous. "How did they take it?" _What if they don't want him to date me? What if they think I'm not good enough for him? What if they don't like me?_

"They were happy for me. Mitsukuni and I have told them enough about you over the years that they already like you, but they still want to meet you."

"Oh. Um, sure, I'll come over. Do I need to dress up?"

"Hn. No, just dress as you normally do. That'll be fine. I'd like to pick you up early, if that's okay."

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I just want to."

"Hmmm…" Haruhi thought about it and grinned. "Have you missed me?"

His voice was softer when he answered. "Yes. I like being with you."

His words warmed her. "Me, too," she confessed just as softly.

She heard him clear his throat. "Would three o'clock be okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay." There was an awkward pause. She didn't know what to say to fill it. But Mori spoke first. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"I look forward to it."

She heard him laugh softly. "Me, too. 'Till tomorrow."

"Alright, 'bye." And they hung up.

She sat down, thinking over the conversation. Yeah, the ending was awkward, but she still liked talking with him. And she really was looking forward to spending time with him. She felt giddy thinking about it.

…

Mori gave her a quick tour of his house when they arrived. Haruhi was impressed. It wasn't his family's ancestral home, which was back on the Haninozuka's estate, but it was an ancient house that had been updated discretely. From the décor and the comfortable way Mori moved, it was obvious that his family loved the place.

Mori gestured to a closed door down at the end of a hall. She could hear movement from it, but Mori didn't get close. "That's our dojo. It's a small one, really only big enough for one or two people, depending on what they're practicing. The main dojo our family uses is the first one we opened up for business. It's quite popular. Unlike many places, that one is open at all hours. Of course, that's only to family. Outside students are only allowed during the afternoons and evenings."

Haruhi smiled up to him. He may not be conscious of it, but the pride he had for his family was very clear in his voice. She loved hearing it. When he looked down at her, he suddenly got very quiet and still. Haruhi cocked her head to the side. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

Mori blinked and she saw a blush dust his cheeks. "Ah, sorry. Yes, everything's fine."

He took her hand and led her further through the home, but he didn't say anything else. Haruhi wondered what that was all about.

She didn't have much time to think about it because he brought her to the back of the house. Laid out before her was a beautiful garden. In keeping with the style of the rest of the house, it was again traditional, but far from simple. Every angle she looked at showed a perfect scene. Before her was a small open area that butted up against a large koi pond with a bridge arching over a narrowed end. There were a few flat rocks placed next to the edge for a person to sit, as well as a couple of benches dotted around. Some of both were carefully placed to take advantage of both sun and shade, as the person decided. Paths inlaid in the gravel led out to amazingly cultivated "wild" areas, places surrounded by bushes and overhung with trees. She could just see one at the end of one path, and she was sure there were many more hidden around the bends. She heard a waterfall or stream flowing somewhere hidden. She could also hear birds and small animals' calls and rustles, the sounds of them being quite at home here.

Haruhi couldn't move; she couldn't speak. She could only feel awe at such beauty.

She felt Mori take her hand and let him pull her into the garden. He led her over to one of the benches beside the pond.

She let out a sigh and dragged her eyes back to Mori. "Oh, senpai… this is so beautiful."

She saw Mori smile at her out of the corner of her eye. "I'd hoped you'd like it," he said.

Haruhi looked around from this vantage point. "_Like_ it is too mild. I love it. It's… it's… _beautiful_."

She turned back to him when she felt her hand being lifted. She saw him smile as he kissed the back of her hand. She blushed and ducked her head. She really hadn't had a lot of experience with romance from the heart, just the fake stuff from the Host Club. But this was just about blowing her away. She didn't know what to do or how to act. She heard Mori hum and glanced up out of the corner of her eye.

"I had thought about taking you to see my favorite spot, but I think I'll save that for another time," he said.

Haruhi now looked up at him, confused. His eyes held some intense emotion that she couldn't quite figure out. "Oh, uh, okay," she replied.

"I don't think it would be a good idea right now. It's a little too private." Mori turned his head a little, but she could still see the blush across his cheeks.

Haruhi caught his implication and could feel the burn of _her_ blush. "Oh. Um, yeah, that's probably a good idea." _He feels that strongly about me? What about me? How strongly do I feel for him? Well, I love kissing him… And…_ Her thoughts trailed off from his intense look when he glanced back at her.

He gave a soft sigh and said, "But I can still do this."

He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. Haruhi figured she knew what he wanted. She wanted it, too. She smiled and ran her hand up his arm. He smiled, too, apparently in response to her action. That made her feel good, that she made _him_ feel good. With his free arm, he pulled her to him, the hand on her cheek reached back to thread into her hair. As he leaned down, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She tilted her head to meet his lips with her own.

Haruhi instantly lost her breath. And regained it the next moment. Once again, she felt the fire from something so simple, and so profound, as a kiss. No, _his_ kiss did this to her. It was the same as, yet more than, their first kiss. It quickly grew in passion. She didn't have complete control of her body. The fingers of one hand ran into his hair; the other brushed down the side of his neck to caress his chest. She felt him shudder around her. He tightened his hold on her waist while his fingers tightened in her hair.

_Oh, gods… He feels sooo good._

Suddenly, he pulled away. Haruhi was startled. _Wait, what? What happened?_ She looked up at his blushed-filled face. She could feel him straightening her hair. And then she heard the door open behind them. She blushed now. _How had he known?_

She turned around and was surprised to see who it was.

"Hi, Haru-chan. Hi, Takashi." Honey had a smile on his face. "How are you guys?"

Haruhi was a little put out that he showed up when he did, but she was still happy to see him. "Hi, Honey-senpai. 'Doing good. How are you doing?"

He bounced up to stand in front of them. "Oh, I'm good. I just got some news that I wanted to tell Takashi and then I heard that you were over, too."

"What is it?" Mori asked.

Honey glanced at the house. "Well, there's a couple of things."

Mori seemed to think there was a cue in that glance and quickly stood. He held out a hand to Haruhi and pulled her up, too. "How about we go to my old room? We can get something to drink on the way."

Honey nodded his head. "That's sounds like a good idea." He skipped ahead of them to the door and held it open for them. "Can I have some cake, too?"

Mori looked down at him thoughtfully. "What day is it?"

Haruhi was a little confused why Mori had asked until she remembered the fight between them just before they graduated high school. Mori had wanted Honey to cut back on the sweets. Apparently, Honey had a schedule for them. It had to have been Honey who made it since Mori had to ask.

Honey smiled up at him. "Don't worry, it's a sweets day. I just wanted to ask if you had any and if I could have some. If not, don't worry, I'll get some when I go home."

Mori shrugged his shoulders. "You'll have to ask if we have any; I don't know."

"Okay," Honey chirped.

They stopped at the kitchen and got their drinks. Honey was disappointed there wasn't any cake available. He settled for a syrupy sweet drink that made Haruhi's teeth itch just looking at it. She didn't know how he could stand it.

Mori brought them up to his room. He hadn't shown it to her before. Haruhi looked around with interest, wondering what his private domain would be like. It was larger than her living room, but it was divided into two areas. He had a sitting area with a t.v. near the door. The far end had his bed and a desk. It had the same simple, traditional style as the rest of the house. Haruhi loved it.

When she finished her inspection, she looked up at Mori, only to find him staring intently at her. His gaze made her blush, but she still answered his unspoken question. "I love your room." And then she blushed harder when she realized just how that could be taken. She didn't mean to sound too forward about being comfortable there. However, she didn't try to correct her statement. She hoped he would know how she meant it.

Fortunately, Mori smiled at her. "My apartment is similar," he said as he put an arm around her, leading her to the sitting area. There was a low table and several comfortable cushions around it. Since the sleeping area was raised, he had put more cushions against the raised portion to form a backing for the seats. It was a unique substitute for a couch. They sat together there.

Honey had already plopped down on a cushion at the end of the table. "So, Haru-chan, do you like dating Takashi?"

Haruhi sputtered a little and just knew she was blushing hard. He had asked that question out of the blue, and with such a cherubic smile on his face. "Ah… well… uh, yeah, I like him a lot." And that was the most she could get herself to say. Besides, they had only _just_ started dating. It was a little early to see if their relationship would last. _Even if I already know so much about him and like him so very much,_ she thought.

Mori pulled her to him and gave her a little squeeze. She laid her hand over his arm and squeezed back.

Honey giggled. "Alright, I'll stop teasing. Anyway, first thing I wanted to tell you is that I tried to talk to Tama-chan."

Haruhi immediately stiffened. She hadn't realized that Honey had already done so. She was nervous about what he'd say next. She relaxed a little when she felt Mori rub her arm.

Honey, however, shook his head a little. "He wasn't there. Shima-san said his father had put him on a plane yesterday morning to France. Apparently, he and his father had talked. His father seemed to have the same idea as you guys and sent him to see his mother. That and he wasn't happy that Tama-chan had called Kyou-chan on his honeymoon and got him out of the way of any backlash from Kyou-chan."

"Oh, god, no." Haruhi was horrified. While Tamaki was unbelievably rude to Kyouya, she wasn't quite surprised knowing him. But what had her so shocked was that she didn't know how _Kyouya_ would take the news. She had hoped that they'd be able to tell him in a better way than Tamaki would have done.

Honey nodded his head. "Yes, he did. Apparently, though, he didn't get much sympathy from Kyou-chan. Shima-san said he had been sulking since then and hadn't left his room until his father showed up."

Haruhi shook her head. "I don't think he was just sulking."

"I don't think so, either," Honey agreed. That made her feel terrible. She didn't like hurting her friends. He continued on, "But don't worry, Haru-chan, he'll be okay. From what Kyou-chan's said of her, his mother will put him to rights soon enough."

Haruhi only noticed how tense Mori had been when he finally relaxed. "Mitsukuni, thank you for trying."

But Honey just waived it away. "Don't worry about it, Takashi. He's my friend, too." Honey took a long pull from his drink.

Haruhi was grateful for the silence. She needed a minute to absorb what Honey just told them.

Eventually, Mori spoke up. "You said a couple of things?"

Honey nodded his head. "Well…" he dragged out. He glanced at Haruhi questioningly. "It's about what happened at the wedding with Ootori-san."

"I told her my thoughts about what might have happened," Mori supplied.

Honey looked surprised at Mori. "Oh." Haruhi wondered why he was surprised Mori told her what he did, but Honey continued quickly. "In that case, I looked into our business dealings with the Ootori Company. I couldn't find anything current, which was odd. I had been pretty sure that we had at least _something_ going with their security. I know that we had trained the security teams for their hospitals and personal safety, and I could find their completed contracts but no current or future training was listed. And I thought that we dealt with the logistics of delivering the Ootoris' humanitarian supplies, too. Again, plenty of past contracts but nothing current.

"Then, I looked through Father's schedule and apparently Ootori-san had an appointment with both Father and Uncle Akira about a month ago. So I sweet-talked Father's secretary into telling me what she overheard. Apparently, Ootori-san had been very arrogant at the meeting. He had tried to get Uncle Akira to leave the meeting, but Father stuck up for Uncle Akira. He also had tried to dictate the terms of whatever it was they were discussing. The secretary didn't know what it was about, but whatever it was, apparently Ootori-san had made some demands through his subordinates that we refused to meet. Apparently, Ootori-san was adamant about it, and it escalated to the point where he showed up in person to talk with our fathers about it.

"In any case, Father eventually flat-out refused whatever it was that Ootori-san wanted. Ootori-san was pissed off and when he left, he made some comment to Father about how unwise it was to trust servants with the running of the family legacy. To say that Father and Uncle Akira weren't happy with him is an understatement. Father then pulled all the contracts we had with the Ootoris.

"After finding that out from Father's secretary, I went to him and told him what happened at Kyou-chan's wedding." Honey now looked at Mori. "I know you didn't want me to, but both of them needed to know what Ootori-san did."

Haruhi pulled away a little to watch Mori. He wasn't looking at Honey; he was just frowning at the table. Haruhi didn't do anything to disturb him; she knew he was thinking about what Honey told him.

After only a short moment, Honey continued. "Father was disappointed in Ootori-san's behavior at his own son's wedding. He said that Ootori-san is reaching beyond his status and that if he doesn't watch out, he's going to have a big fall."

Mori and Haruhi nodded their heads. Mori asked Honey, "Did Uncle Yorihisa say what Ootori-san's demands were?"

Honey just shook his head.

Mori growled.

Haruhi looked at him, more than a little surprised. _Did he REALLY just growl?_

"Father should have mentioned it to me. We would have been better prepared for Kyouya's wedding," Mori stated flatly.

"I'm sure Uncle Akira was just trying to protect us from having to deal with Ootori-san," Honey said soothingly.

However, Mori wasn't soothed. He gave a sharp glance to Honey and said, "We already knew there were issues with Haruhi attending; that information would have narrowed it down and helped us prepare a suitable defense, especially with her attending with me."

Now Honey looked suspicious at Mori. "You knew there was something more than just the general stuff that happens at these things?"

Mori stiffened his spine and drew his eyes away from Honey. He refused to answer.

Haruhi looked between them, a little unsettled with what was going on between the two cousins. "Hey, guys, relax, please. Maybe we shouldn't keep so many things to ourselves. Maybe we should have told you, Honey-senpai, about what we suspected," she said with a quick glance at Mori. "But I already felt bad enough about needing Takashi-senpai's help. I didn't want to burden anyone else any further."

Honey turned to her. "Haru-chan, you're never a burden to us. We like helping you," he said quite earnestly.

Mori nodded in agreement. "It's a pleasure."

Haruhi ducked her head. Yes, she loved her friends, but she still felt that she had the potential to cause problems for them. _Well,_ she resolved, _I'll just have to make sure I don't cause anyone any more problems._ Mori wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She hugged him back, nuzzling into his chest. It felt so good having him wrapped around her.

She had a thought, but was a little hesitant to mention it. Mori noticed and asked her. "Well, I was wondering if maybe you guys should talk to your fathers about this. I mean, I'm thinking about the fact that we're friends with his son. He might end up trying to use Kyouya-senpai for whatever it is that he wants. And Kyouya-senpai's been going through so much; I'd hate to see him used like I think he might be." Honey was giving her a surprised look. She glanced at Mori and saw he was curious. "Well, I mean, he's wanted to be named heir for so long, and depending on how far his father is willing to go, he could get hurt pretty badly, couldn't he?"

Both Honey and Mori looked thoughtful. Honey replied first. "That's true, Haru-chan. You're right; we should talk with our fathers."

Mori nodded his head. "We can ask when they're both available. It'd be best to talk to them together, less potential for misunderstandings."

Honey agreed. "That's a good idea. We can ask them tonight." Honey then changed the subject. "So, Haru-chan, what are you doing over?"

Haruhi blushed at the reminder. "I'm having dinner with Takashi-senpai's family." She smiled up at Mori when he squeezed her arm. "And spending some time together."

Mori surprised Haruhi by giving her a quick kiss even though Honey was watching. She blushed again. _What was it about him that made her blush so much?_ Honey giggled at them.

They stayed, talking together, until Mori's brother, Satoshi, came by to say that their parents wanted to meet Haruhi before dinner. Honey made a quick escape and Mori brought her downstairs.

…

Haruhi had been nervous about meeting his parents, but that quickly went away. They had been warm and welcoming. She had enjoyed talking with them. They made intelligent conversation without being arrogant, and seemed honestly interested in her comments.

The dinner itself was relaxed, quite different from what she had come to expect from her exposure to the upper class at Ouran's events. Satoshi, whom she already knew, had kept a lively conversation going. He had her in stitches a couple of times. Of course, once had been unintentional, but everyone else had laughed, too.

After dinner, Mori led her to the living room, where they snuggled together while watching a movie. Mori kept his arms around her, and she didn't mind at all. She liked feeling safe and warm. She couldn't help but let her hands wander up and down his arms. Since he had a short sleeve shirt on, she had the pleasure of feeling his soft, warm skin that covered the rock-hard, developed muscle underneath. She could finally caress to her heart's content those muscles that she had so long admired. She sighed in contentedness and leaned back against his chest.

Near the end of the movie, she tilted her head back to see how Mori was. He looked down at her and gave her a soft smile. Then, she felt him caress her cheek in his favorite way. He held her closer as he bent down to give her a slow, passionate kiss. She held his arms tighter, trying to hold on to her sanity. Sooner than she would have liked, he pulled back, but she smiled at him before returning to the movie. She knew that it was better they stopped before they went too far. She snuggled back into his arms to finish the movie.

Afterward, Mori drove her back home.

"I really liked your parents. They were very nice," she told him.

Mori flashed her a grin. "I'm glad. They liked you, too."

Haruhi was happy to hear that. Even though she had thought so, it was always good to have confirmation.

All too quickly, they arrived at her apartment. Mori escorted her to the door, where they shared another spine-tingling kiss before he left. All in all, it had been a good day.

Until she opened the door to find her father grinning at her from the couch.

"Yes, yes. I'll tell you about it," she sighed in resignation. She knew she wasn't going to be able to get out of it.


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone was finally getting together again.

It had been three weeks since Kyouya's wedding, and five since they'd had a chance to just hang out. They had just finished their first week of school.

Honey was still the same as ever. He was looking forward to proposing to Reiko. He had the date set for next week. Their relationship looked as strong as ever and they moved into the new school year without any issues - Reiko was also attending Ouran University. Haruhi hoped everything would go well for them.

Hikaru and Kaoru were having a good time in their new university. According to Kaoru, Hikaru was gathering up the courage to ask Sonia out. They missed everyone and had visited Tamaki and Haruhi several times, and Honey and Mori once each. They had even visited Kyouya and Ayame when they came back.

Kyouya and Ayame had also moved into a nearby apartment. During their honeymoon, their families had moved their stuff for them. From what Hikaru and Kaoru told her, they were settling in to their new lives. Haruhi wondered about that, but she didn't have the courage to make the first move to visit them, and they hadn't invited her.

Tamaki had come back from France better than how he had left. He had apologized to both Haruhi and Mori for his behavior and assumptions. He said that he still loved Haruhi, but that he knew that she was trying to have a chance at happiness. He wouldn't do anything to get in their way again. Haruhi was touched at his thoughtfulness. She could see that he was still hurt, but he was trying to get over it. She hoped, for his sake, he would, soon.

Mori and Haruhi had managed to get several dates in. Haruhi loved them all. Some were simple, like when they went shopping for their books and school supplies. Some were stimulating, like when they were debating something or other. Some were romantic, like when Mori took Haruhi on a picnic in his favorite spot in his parents' back yard. That had been the most recent one, and the most exciting. They took advantage of the long period of privacy but didn't take it too far, only necks, backs, and sides. Haruhi liked the pace they were going. She didn't want to jump into intimacy as she had with Kyouya, but she also loved him enough to want to make him feel good and to feel good in return.

Yes, she could admit that she was falling in love with Mori. She only wondered if he felt the same about her.

She snuck a glance at Mori and blushed when she saw he was doing the same. They were walking to meet the others. They were meeting near Ouran University at a café that Haruhi liked. It was only going to be the seven of them, although Haruhi figured that Ayame would eventually join in on the days that Reiko came.

As they reached the café, Hikaru and Kaoru called out to them from down the sidewalk. Haruhi waived to them and waited for them to catch up. The four of them walked in together to find the others had already arrived.

"You're here!" Tamaki shouted. "You're late! What took you guys so long?"

Haruhi frowned and looked at her cell phone for the time. They were a few minutes early. "Uh, senpai? We're early," she replied.

Hikaru and Kaoru laughed and wrapped their arms around him. "Aw, did you miss us?" Hikaru asked.

"You know we only just saw you a couple of days ago," Kaoru added.

They looked at each other over Tamaki's sputtering and Hikaru said, "We'll just have to come by every day, then, to make sure you're _never_ lonely again."

Tamaki finally threw them off. "No! I- I-"

Honey was giggling at them, but Kyouya intervened. "Well, if you hadn't shown up an hour early, you wouldn't have been bored."

Tamaki sat back in his chair and pouted. "I just wanted to see everyone." Mori chuckled and patted him on the head. Tamaki batted his hand off and jumped up. "I'll just go get everyone some drinks, my treat. What do you guys want?"

After they gave them their orders, he bustled off to wait in line. Everyone settled in their chairs to get comfortable.

Haruhi was a little nervous when she saw Hikaru exchange a look with Kaoru and nodded to Kyouya. Haruhi hoped they weren't going to be too awful to him.

Hikaru immediately started the questioning. "So, how'd your honeymoon go? Did you have… LOTS of fun?" Hikaru and Kaoru sniggered, making obvious their lewd train of thought.

Haruhi turned beet red. She could feel it. _How could they ask him such a personal question? It's none of their business!_ She really did _not_ want to know Kyouya's intimate details.

Honey and Mori both glared at them.

Kyouya went stiff. In a very formal voice, he said, "That is not a subject that should be brought up, especially in mixed company."

Honey also spoke against them. "Even among friends, there are certain lines that should not be crossed. You should apologize to Kyou-chan and Haru-chan for embarrassing them."

Hikaru and Kaoru had the grace to look ashamed. "Sorry, you guys. We won't mention it again."

Fortunately, the subject was wrapped up before Tamaki got in earshot. She didn't want to imagine the blustering he would produce about 'ungentlemanly' behavior.

Tamaki looked at the group and zeroed in on the twins' shamed expressions. "What did you two do?" He gave them a suspicious glare.

Kyouya quickly replied instead. "They were attempting to embarrass me. Don't worry. It's been handled."

Tamaki now turned his suspicious glare to Kyouya.

Haruhi didn't want it to turn into an argument. It was the first time they'd all been able to get together in over a month. She didn't count Kyouya's wedding since Kyouya and Tamaki were separated from them. She changed the subject before Tamaki could cause a scene. "Hey, senpai, weren't you supposed to get our drinks?"

Tamaki whirled around. "Oh yes, this lovely young lady said she would bring them to us when they were completed. It was such a thoughtful gesture, so that I would not be burdened with the sheer number of drinks and be separated from my friends for too long." He had the sparkles in his eyes again.

Haruhi shook her head. _Wasn't he supposed to be growing up?_

Hikaru snickered again. "More likely she just didn't want you fluttering uselessly at her counter, annoying her."

Tamaki sputtered at the accusation.

Haruhi played peacemaker once again. "She probably really was just trying to be nice, Tamaki-senpai. Don't listen to Hikaru." She really thought so. She had met the girls working here before and they really did seem to be nice enough to do that. Tamaki's natural looks and flirtatious behavior would have only ensured it.

"So, are you and Mori-senpai entering the tournament?" Kaoru asked Honey, ignoring Tamaki and Hikaru squabbling.

"The College Regional next month?" Honey asked.

"Yeah."

Honey shook his head. "No. It's actually for people who are in the lower levels. They are holding a demonstration for the black belts on the next to last day before the finals, but they had so many people already signed up for it we decided not to."

"Is that the one where they're cancelling classes for most of the week?" Haruhi remembered it only because it gave her some time off.

"Yup! That's the one," Honey chirped.

Hikaru finally left Tamaki alone long enough to join the conversation. "Hey, we should do something together since we've got those days off, too."

Surprisingly, Tamaki looked downcast. "I can't. I'm going to a bunch of meetings with my dad and grandmother that week."

Honey leaned over and patted Tamaki's arm. "That's okay, Tama-chan. We can do it some other time."

"Think of it this way, Tamaki," Kyouya said. "You're making progress toward your future."

Tamaki brightened at that. "That's true. And hey, I'll be available Sunday. Do you guys want to get together then?"

Haruhi smiled at the chorus of agreement.

Kyouya cleared his throat. He looked at Haruhi. "So, Tamaki tells me you and Mori-senpai have started dating."

Haruhi nodded her head. As soon as Honey told her that Kyouya knew, she had been worried about his reaction. She tried to answer him truthfully without hurting him. "We wanted to try, to see what our feelings for each other were." Well, she knew what her feelings were; she loved him. She eyed Kyouya, hoping he wasn't upset. She hated hurting her friends.

But Kyouya surprised her. He gave them both a soft smile and said, "I think you'll be happy together."

Haruhi felt Mori squeeze her hand as she smiled back to him. "Thank you."

The group got their drinks then, saving them from a possible awkward moment. Tamaki also took the opportunity to flirt with the lady. Haruhi wondered about that. _Is he finally over me, or is it just his normal reaction to women?_ She smiled at him, hoping it was the former.

Honey started bouncing in his chair. Tamaki was the first to notice it wasn't his usual good-natured attitude; he asked Honey what was up. Honey gave everyone the good news and was happy to receive their well wishes. That led Kaoru to start teasing Mori about when _he_ was going to propose to Haruhi. Both of them blushed and said it was too soon. While everyone was laughing at them, they snuck glances at each other and smiled. Haruhi thought that while it was too soon _right now_, she might be ready not too far in the future.

Hikaru causing a commotion brought her back to the others.

"Hikaru, I would strongly advise against any such action," Kyouya threatened as only he could. Hikaru was harassing his brother somehow. Fortunately, Kyouya's threat worked. Hikaru subsided while Kaoru snickered at him. Hikaru just gave him a look that everyone could see meant Hikaru was just waiting until later to finish it.

Mori smiled at everyone. When Haruhi asked, he replied, "No one really changes."

Haruhi smiled with him. "True, and I wouldn't want them to."

Honey heard and pounced on Haruhi. "Aw, you love us, don't you, Haru-chan."

She laughed and hugged him back. "Of course I do." Suddenly, she was piled on as everyone else tried to hug her, too. "Ack! Guys, too much." Mori once again saved her. She smiled her thanks to him. Everything was normal and she was happy.

…

Three weeks later, Mori and Haruhi were at his place studying. It had become almost a ritual for them to study at one of their places on most afternoons. Occasionally, Haruhi would still get surprised by how comfortable they had gotten with each other. Sometimes, they would take a long evening to just spend more time together.

Once, several nights ago, they had stayed together almost too long alone in his apartment. Haruhi looked back on that night in fondness. They hadn't had sex, but they had explored each other's bodies gratifyingly well. Haruhi thought she might be ready and wondered if tonight would be it. _Well, I've thought that every night since then._

At least they had already admitted that they loved each other. She hadn't wanted to say it to him during a moment of passion and have him think it was only the heat of the moment that made her say it. But when she told him, he confessed, too. She still felt giddy when she remembered _that_ night.

Haruhi tried to push it from her mind as she settled in to do her homework. She really liked that one thing about Mori. He knew how important school was. He didn't try to interrupt their study time.

By the time her stomach was announcing that it should be time for dinner, she had done all her work and was studying ahead of the lesson plan. She leaned back, stretching the muscles that had tensed up from her position. "So, is it my turn to provide dinner?" she asked. On his nights, he would mostly order out food for them. On hers, she would cook. The method worked for them. Haruhi felt she was offering something rather than mooching off of him, and, as he once told her, he got to taste her cooking without her doing it every day.

Mori blinked at her for a minute before he smiled.

Haruhi giggled. "Did I pull you away from something important?"

He shook his head and then also stretched. She couldn't help but admire him as he did so. He really did have a great physique. "I'll let you cook next time. I have plans for tonight."

Haruhi was curious. "Oh? What are they?"

Mori smiled at her, but still shook his head. "You'll find out."

Haruhi slowly smiled, the beginnings of excitement bubbling within her. "I think I'm looking forward to it."

Mori gave her a brief kiss. "Good." He went to the kitchen.

Haruhi wanted to join him, but wasn't sure if what he was doing was a surprise or not. "Am I allowed to join you?"

She could practically hear his smile as he said, "Yes."

She heard the refrigerator door close, and as she stepped in, he was putting a cookie sheet filled with… _something_ in the oven. She hadn't gotten a good look at it. "Is there anything I can help with?" She looked at the counter but it was empty.

Mori shook his head. "Everything else is prepared. We just have to wait for that to cook," he said with a gesture to the oven. Haruhi eyed it. His grin grew a little. "If you want, you can look. Or you can wait and be surprised."

But she shook her head; she'd let it be a surprise. She walked up to where he leaned against the counter and brought her arms up loosely around his neck; his came just as loosely around her waist. "I'd rather talk with you." She pulled slightly to get him to lean down and gave him a light kiss. "How was your day?" It felt so nice, so _right_, holding each other like that.

Mori's hands lightly traveled over her waist and back for a moment before answering her. "It was good. Although, I didn't get a chance, really, to spar this morning."

"Oh? What happened?"

Mori chuckled softly. "Mitsukuni's still too happy about Reiko-san agreeing to marry him. I have to admit, I was a little frustrated at the time. He tried, but every time we'd start, he'd go into his own world and completely forget what we were in the middle of. I had to call it off after I nearly hurt him with a grapple he should have deflected easily." Mori chuckled again. "He was pretty embarrassed but agreed that he wasn't as focused as he should have been."

Haruhi chuckled with him. "Well, he has a right to be a little happy right now. I don't blame him."

"Hmm… I don't either, really. I'm thinking of canceling our practices for now. At least until the newness of his situation wears off some."

Haruhi giggled at a thought. "Or is it that you don't want to have to explain to both his new fiancée and the rest of the family just exactly how he managed to get hurt so badly after he messes up?" Mori gave her a sour look. She just gave another short giggle at it. She changed the subject before he could really get irritated. "So, Hikaru called during lunch."

"Hmm? What did he want?"

"He needed to vent to someone other than Kaoru. Apparently, Kaoru wasn't being very sympathetic." She paused in a fit of mischief, and watched Mori's eyebrows rise when she didn't continue.

"What happened?"

Haruhi grinned in triumph. "Well, apparently, Hikaru finally had the courage to ask Sonia-san out, but before he could, she had to leave for the U.S. for some photo-shoot. Hikaru was quite upset that he hadn't known about the 'shoot. He had made some pretty elaborate plans that were now ruined." While she felt sorry for his pain, she was still amused about the situation.

Mori's lips quirked. "Ah," he said. After a second, he asked, "Doesn't she live here?" At her nod, he said, "Well, then, she won't be gone forever. He can ask when she gets back."

"I know, but you know how he is. He's too impatient to want to wait. He almost sounded like Tamaki-senpai, inventing all these reasons why she would say no when she got back." She rested her forehead against him. "And we don't need another Tamaki-senpai."

Mori's laugh vibrated through her forehead. She just held him tighter.

The conversation died as they got absorbed into the wonderful simplicity of holding each other. But it wasn't _just_ holding each other. Their hands slowly started to caress each other, never moving very far, but conveying their affection for each other. As she looked at him, she realized just how much a part of her life he had become. She didn't want to ever leave his side. _Does this mean that I want to marry him?_ As she thought that, she didn't get any panic, or even something as mild as concern. _I really think so._ She had a feeling of wonder flow through her. _I really love him that much._ She couldn't keep her smile back. By the answering one and the kiss she received, she didn't think he minded. _I wonder if he would ever be ready…_

All too soon, the timer for the oven rang. Haruhi reluctantly released him so he could get the food before it burned. She finally saw what it was, a selection of finger foods.

She looked at Mori curiously. "What's this?"

"It's part of dinner. I thought we could eat in the living room. Would you mind setting up while I finish in here?" He gave her a look that was pure smolder. It made her toes curl and those lovely electric sparks tingle through her.

Haruhi needed a moment to process what he said. "Oh, ah, yeah, sure." She had trouble getting her feet to move, but as soon as she did, her brain started working again. _Really? He gives you one look and your brain shuts off?_ Haruhi shook her head in amusement. _Oh, but what a look…_ She let herself get lost a little in her thoughts as she set up his coffee table.

Mori quickly emerged from the kitchen with a couple of serving dishes. One had the hot finger food and the other had some that were cold. "You don't have any plans for tonight, right? You can stay for a while?" he asked.

She smiled up at him. "No plans and all the time we want." She started to wonder if tonight would be the night.

He gave her another smoldering look. "Good," he replied, his voice almost husky, sending little shivers up and down her spine.

_Wow, Haruhi, you're really on edge tonight. Reign it in, girl_, she thought to herself. She tried to get herself back under control, but that flew out the window when he sat close enough to brush his arm against her. "Takashi-senpai?" she asked, slightly nervous but excited.

Mori brushed his fingers against her cheek. She knew by now that it was his signal that he wanted to kiss her senseless. However, he answered her instead, his voice still husky. "Haruhi, I love you." She couldn't help but smile at the warmth those words gave her. He placed a finger over her lips before she could reply. "I know you love me, too. I want to make tonight special. I want to _make_ love to you." He caressed her bottom lip, effectively releasing her to respond. But she was floored by what he just said; she couldn't say a word. Fortunately, he continued quickly. "If you're not ready for that, I'll wait. But I want your permission before we start. I don't want you to regret anything."

That shook her. She realized why he was asking her now, and loved him even more for being the gentleman he was. He didn't want to seduce her into it, as her first time had been. He wanted her to make a decision based on her true feelings for him. He truly loved her. And she loved him just as much.

She pulled his hand away from her lips. He looked nervous and she smiled. She took his face with both her hands and kissed him soundly, putting as much passion into it that she could. He pulled her close in response. She pulled her head back enough to whisper, "I want to; I'm ready." She kissed him again. "I love you, Takashi-senpai."

They shared one last sultry kiss before Mori pulled back completely. The smile he gave her showed his intentions for the night. "In that case, let me seduce you." She shivered again at his voice.

She was nervous and excited… and very turned on as he fed her from his fingers. She returned the favor, and occasionally, his lips and tongue would tease the tips of her fingers, as she did for him. At the end of the meal, she helped him clean his fingers by sucking on them. He seemed to like that a lot, by the evidence in his lap. He then stood, lifting her with him, and carried her from the living room.

Her last thoughts, before his attentions cast her senseless, were, _I love this man so much; he is so amazing…_


	9. Chapter 9

She had an appointment the next Tuesday after classes with a local clinic to get on birth control. They had been intimate a couple of times and she wanted to be as safe as possible. She didn't want to worry about having condoms each time they made love.

So far, it was a just like her regular check-ups, with the nurse getting basic information. "And what was the date of your last cycle?" she asked.

Haruhi had to think for that. _Wait, when WAS my last cycle?_ She had just finished her first month of college, and she should have had at least one. _Oh, shit._ The last one she remembered was just before graduation. And that was over two months ago.

"Fujioka-san? Are you okay?"

Haruhi struggled to get her voice to work. Finally, she got a whisper out. "A little over two months ago." _Oh, shit. I am in so much trouble._

The nurse looked confused for a second, and then understanding and sympathy washed over her face. "Is it possible that you're pregnant?" Haruhi nodded. "Well, then. We'll get a pregnancy test done for you, first thing."

Haruhi followed the rest of the nurse's instructions with her mind in a fog. _How did I not notice?_ But she knew how. She had just been busy, with school and Mori. _But how could I be pregnant? It would have to have been when I lost my virginity. That had only been one time, my first! Who gets pregnant on their first time? What are the odds of that?_ She sat in one of the chairs in the examination room. She was waiting for the results of the test. Another thought hit her. _Oh, God. Kyouya's the father. What am I going to do?_ She lowered her head into her hands, leaning her elbows on her knees. She wasn't crying. She didn't know what she was feeling, but it wasn't like crying.

She heard a knock and the door opened as the doctor walked in. "Fujioka-san?" Haruhi nodded her head. "We got the results from your test."

Haruhi looked up, waiting for the doctor to tell her. Her voice was hoarse. "What were they?"

"They were positive. You're pregnant. I'll give you an exam, but you'll need to make an appointment with an obstetrician."

Haruhi nodded her head. Again, she just followed the instructions without her brain having too much opinion on the matter.

After the exam, the doctor handed her a brief fact-sheet on pregnancy and reminded her to make an appointment. Just before she left, the doctor had one last piece of advice. "Fujioka-san, you've had quite a shock. Take it easy for the rest of the day. And get something with sugar in it. It'll help."

…

Haruhi got a strawberry milkshake from the McDonald's down the street a little ways. It was easy to take the doctor's order to take it easy. She couldn't do much else. She realized that what the doctor said was quite literally true. She was in shock. She vaguely remembered feeling the same when her mother passed away. This time, it wasn't the loss of someone, but the genesis of a new life that caused it.

And she was slowly realizing all the problems that were coming with that new life. Her life was ruined. She was now a single mother who had friends in _very_ high places. People would talk. People would think the worst of not just her, but also her friends. Not only that, but she now had to take care of a baby all on her own. There was no way she'd let Mori go down with her.

Her phone suddenly ringing jarred her out of her thoughts. She looked down and saw that it was Mori calling. _Weren't we supposed to meet up later? What time is it?_ She saw the time and realized that she was half an hour late. She had spent _two hours_ sitting there, _lost in thought_? The ringing stopped. Quickly, she pulled herself together and called him back.

"Hey, sorry I didn't answer," she greeted him.

"You're late. What happened?"

Haruhi winced. As a sign of his worry, he returned to his old speech patterns. "Umm… Something did happen. Wait," she said before he could say anything. "I need to tell you about it, but I can't over the phone. It's something I need to tell you in private. Can we go to your place?"

He was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Where are you? I'll pick you up."

She gave him the location. "Takashi-senpai, I love you." She had to tell him, to remind him.

He paused for a second before saying, "I love you, too. I'll be there shortly."

"Okay. 'Bye."

" 'Bye."

Once they hung up, Haruhi sat staring out the window, waiting for him, wondering how bad the coming conversation would be.

When he showed up, she quickly got in the car. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She knew that she was about to hurt him badly. There wasn't any way to avoid it.

He didn't pull out into traffic, though. He studied her with his concern showing. "Haruhi?"

But she shook her head. "Please, not yet. I'll tell you when we get there."

He gave her one more worried-filled glance before driving. The ride was a miserable one for both of them, but Haruhi couldn't say anything yet. She knew she was only dragging out the pain, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything yet.

When they got to his apartment, they sat on his couch. She had run out of time. She had to tell him.

Quietly, painfully, she told him about her doctor's visit. She finished with, "Kyouya-senpai has to be the father. I am in a lot of trouble. It would be better for you if we broke up." She really thought so. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than she has. Haruhi felt miserable sitting there, waiting for Mori to respond.

He sat there for a few minutes. She didn't push him to say anything since she wanted to let him think. Finally, he said, "Haruhi, let me take care of you."

Haruhi looked up, surprised. It wasn't anywhere close to what she had imagined he'd say.

He had a look of both concern and compassion on his face. "Do you love me?" he asked.

Haruhi couldn't speak for a moment. _Yes_, she loved him. That was why she was hurting so much. She was afraid of the hurt of losing him. She was afraid of hurting him. But, she didn't want to put him through any of the kind of problems that would come with being with her now – now that she was having another man's baby, out of wedlock, where the man was quite highly ranked and married to another woman, and she was just starting college and dating another man. It was a scandal of the highest order. She didn't want to put him through all that.

But she couldn't truthfully deny that she loved him. She also couldn't lie to him.

Finally, she was able to nod her head and say, "With all my heart."

He looked relieved. "I love you, too. But you know you won't be able to do everything alone. Let me help you. I want to be there for you, to protect you and help you. It hurts to think of everything that could happen to you. Will you let me?"

"I don't understand. Why?"

"This wasn't how I wanted to do this. I wanted to wait until New Year's Eve. But I have been quite certain for a while that this is what I want. I only hope it's what you want, too."

Haruhi was very confused. _Wasn't he just talking about helping me? Then what is he talking about?_ She was shocked when he got down on one knee and reached for her hand.

"Haruhi, will you marry me? I want to support you through any hardship. There is no one I would rather have by my side, who I trust to help _me_." He swallowed noticeably. "Please, marry me?"

Haruhi was all turned around. _Wait, what? What's going on? Why is he asking me to marry him? Didn't he understand what I just told him?_

"Haruhi, I am very serious. I don't care whose baby it is. I want to be there with _you_, for the rest of my life. I want to raise this child with you. I want my own children with you." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you feel at all the same for me?" Now, he looked worried.

"Well, yes, but I'm going to have so many problems, now. It would be better for you not to. I don't want you hurt." Haruhi felt horrible but she felt it was the right thing to do. "I can't let you bring yourself down with me."

Mori was starting to look mad. "Haruhi, I can protect you from all that. I can protect both of us. Can't you see that?"

Haruhi was also getting mad. She has been stressing about this ever since she found out and he just thought he had to solve her problems for her. "You're just feeling sorry for me."

Mori interrupted. "Excuse me?"

But Haruhi didn't let him continue. She vaguely knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn't think straight. All her fear and stress was coming out. "I don't understand how you think you could do this! Neither of us even have a job! You're in college! I'm in college! And you want us to get married? How would we live? We couldn't! It would be your parents taking care of us! Or mine! Do you realize how demeaning that feels? I couldn't accept it!" Haruhi was on a roll, yelling at Mori.

However, Mori did the unexpected. He interrupted her once again – by yelling back. "I take care of myself! _I_ pay for my tuition, for my rent, for my car, for my share of the chauffer's pay! For my food, for my equipment. For everything! I have a sufficient income _right now_ that I _don't_ have to work to easily support myself for the rest of my life." He was breathing heavily. "However, I have enough respect for not just myself, but also my family and my position in it, to want to live up to my potential. I _want_ to be the best head of the Morinozukas that is possible. So I'm going to college. I'm going to get the best degree possible for me, and do my best in _whatever_ I end up doing. But don't you _dare_ tell me that I cannot support us. I can do so now and much better in the future."

Haruhi opened her mouth to retort, but before she could, he continued, seeming to read her mind. "And don't you dare tell me what _I_ do or do not want. Only if I tell you, will you know. But you cannot dictate that for me." He took a deep, shuttering breath before continuing in a calmer voice. "Haruhi, I love you. I want to take care of you. I want you with me. And remember, eventually it won't be just me supporting us. You'll graduate and get a good job, too. But I want you with me always. I have known how I feel for a while. I have just been waiting for you.

"But you need my help _now_. And I really can help you with a lot of the problems that will come. If you're married to me, most will assume the child is mine. They probably would even if we broke up." His voice choked a little when he said that, but he continued. "And while it would be a minor story, it wouldn't be the scandal it would be if the father was unnamed. You wouldn't ever be able tell anyone the truth of who the father is. People would start gossiping about all our friends, but it would be worse for Kyouya since he's married. It would cause problems for everyone, not just you and me, but especially for Kyouya and Tamaki. Their positions are so precarious. It's not fair to do that to them when there are better options.

"And then there are the expenses during your pregnancy and afterwards. You know I'll be able to take care of them. It wouldn't be any problem for me. I know it feels like charity to you, but I would go out of my mind with worry if I didn't know you were doing everything possible for the health of you and your baby. Please, think of that. I _need_ to know you're both okay.

"And as I've told you before, only your feelings could keep me away. Nothing else could. Please, don't do that to us." He closed his eyes and took another breath. Without opening his eyes, he asked her again. "Haruhi, please, I love you. I want to be with you. Will you marry me?"

Haruhi stood there, looking at him. He really did look miserable. And what he said, about worrying about her… she couldn't do that to him. And she did love him. Enough to spend the rest of her life with him. Hadn't she been thinking of it, herself, before she found out she was pregnant? They've known each other, been close friends, for _years_ before they started dating. They knew each other so well. And he was willing to go through everything that was to come _with_ her, _for_ her. _So… I guess my answer is…_

"Yes, I'll marry you, Takashi-senpai. I love you, too." Mori popped his eyes open to give her an incredulous look mixed with hope. "Really," she reassured him. "Before I found out about this, I had also been thinking I'd be ready to marry you. I love you so much. I just didn't want to bring you down with me."

From his place on the floor, he quickly pulled her into a hard embrace, burying his face in her stomach. Haruhi automatically wrapped her arms around his shoulders, trying to hold him just as much. "I won't let that happen." He stayed like that for a moment before he pulled back to look up at her.

Haruhi was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Takashi-senpai? What's wrong?" She was scared of those tears. _Did I hurt him that much?_

He shook his head and stood up. He once again pulled her against him, this time in a much gentler hold. "Thank you," was all he said.

Haruhi clenched her arms around him. She was so scared of what was to come. Now, she had someone pledged to help her, to be there with her. It was a relief to have that, to have _him_. And she nearly lost him to her own stupidity. She couldn't let him go. She fisted her hands into the back of his shirt as the tears formed. But she held them back. She was _going_ to be strong.

They stayed like that for a while.

Finally, he pulled back. "Haruhi, we need to tell our parents."

Haruhi felt the blood rush from her head at the thought of having to tell her father everything. She suddenly felt a little dizzy. She weaved a little. "Haruhi!" She heard Mori shouting at her. She tried to open her eyes, tried to reassure him. _When did I close my eyes?_

Slowly, they opened. She saw Mori bent over her with the ceiling behind him. _How did the ceiling get there?_ All of a sudden, she felt better. She realized what must have happened. _I fainted? I never faint!_ "Sorry, Takashi-senpai. I'm alright." She pushed him back a little to sit up. "I was just a little worried about telling my father. He's not going to take this well." _That's the understatement of the century._

Mori didn't seem entirely convinced. "We'll wait a little bit to tell them, then." He looked so concerned for her. "Do you need to eat anything? Do you want to go lay down? Whatever you need…"

At the mention of food, she felt her stomach clench a little. "I think I do need to eat. Would you mind if we went out for something?"

But Mori shook his head. "You're not going anywhere. I'll get something delivered."

After everything, Haruhi knew better than to argue. Indeed, she was grateful to not have to go out. She gave him a wan smile in thanks. He returned it and picked up a take-out menu.

…

The meal helped her feel better, physically and emotionally. After they finished eating, Mori told her, "I'd feel better if you stayed the night. That way I can take you to school tomorrow. After you fainting, I'd worry too much for you to go by yourself."

Haruhi shook her head. "Takashi-senpai, I can't. I don't have anything with me."

Mori narrowed his eyes at her. "We can take a quick trip to your place to pick up what you need." His expression one of concern. "Besides, do you really want to be around your dad right now?"

Haruhi felt woozy again just thinking about that.

"Haruhi!" Mori quickly grabbed her to hold her up.

She stiffened to keep from passing out. She refused to let herself become some ninny who fainted at every little thing. She had never done so before, and she wasn't going to now. She patted Mori's hands. "I'm okay. And yeah, you're right, it's probably better if I don't see him right now." She gave him a weak smile.

In answer, he bent down to hug her gently.

He quickly got her in the car. Haruhi was a little amused. _Did he think I was going to change my mind?_

On the ride, Mori managed to convince her to stay for the rest of the week, saying "That way we can look up information together."

Haruhi had to agree, as his arguments were too sound. "Alright, but don't think you're always going to win."

"Win?" he asked innocently enough, but Haruhi could see the smile. She just poked him in the arm and he chuckled. It felt good to joke around.

Shortly, they arrived - to find Ranka home. Haruhi was nervous about seeing him. She didn't want him to guess that something was wrong. She really wasn't ready to tell him.

"Hi, Dad," Haruhi called out when she walked in, trying to act normal.

"Good evening, Ranka-san," Mori said as he followed her.

Ranka smiled at them from his place on the couch. "Hi, you two. Have a good day?"

Haruhi tried to make sure her face didn't change expressions. "Yeah, Dad, but, umm, I'm just here to pick up some things. Takashi-senpai invited me over for a few days." She then escaped to her room. She didn't want to face him, just get her stuff and go.

As she was grabbing some clothes, she heard her father clearing his throat. "Really?" she heard him ask.

She heard Mori answer, "Yes, Ranka-san. I'm going to take her to school with me. We want to spend some time together."

Haruhi winced when he said that. She knew how her father would take that. But he, surprisingly, was calmer than she expected. She heard him clear his throat again. "Well, in that case, just keep her safe, Mori-kun."

"Always," was Mori's reply.

She finished in her room quickly and ran to the bathroom to grab her stuff from there. She noticed her tampons had been pushed to the back of the cabinet. Again, she wondered how she hadn't noticed that she hadn't had her period. _Just too much craziness with everyone lately_, she thought. Although, to be fair, it hadn't been any worse than her first two years in high school. _But_, she remembered with a start,_ there had been times when it'd snuck up on me then. So… maybe it isn't that much of an excuse?_

She returned to the living room, seeing her dad standing near Mori. She walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Dad, don't worry. I'll see you in a few days."

He gave her a serious look, surprising her since he so rarely used it. "Alright, honey. I know you're growing up and can make your own decisions. Just stay safe. I love you." He gave her his typical hug. _At least that hadn't changed._

"I will, Dad. I love you, too." She smiled at him and reached down to grab her bag, only to find it missing. She looked suspiciously at Mori. _Yup, there it is._ "I can get it!" It wasn't, quite, a shout. Mori simply smiled at her and shifted it further from her. Haruhi debated if it was worth it to argue with him, but decided to just give in for now. "Arg, fine, you win." His smile got bigger. He held his arm out to her. With a "hmph," she took it.

Ranka giggled at them. "See you later, honey. 'Bye, Mori-kun."

"Bye, Dad"

"Good night, Ranka-san."

Haruhi sighed in relief when they reached his car. "That went better than I thought."

Mori grunted as he pulled the car out. After a moment, he said, "I think I intimidate your father."

Haruhi looked at him, surprised. Mori was one of the sweetest people she knew, and her dad had seemed pretty happy when she left. However, Mori looked a little upset. "But he loves you," she said.

Mori grimaced slightly. "If I had been anyone else, I don't think I would have left unharmed."

Haruhi was shocked. Her dad wouldn't hurt anyone. "But…"

Mori gave a quick glance. "Remember the first time he met Tamaki?"

Haruhi remembered but was still slightly confused. "Yeah… But you're so nice, I don't see how he could feel intimidated," she reasoned.

Apparently, Mori didn't agree with her reasoning; his grimace never left and his tightened his grip on the steering wheel. But he didn't argue with her. Haruhi decided to drop the subject.

When they arrived back at Mori's place, Haruhi quickly grabbed her bag before he could. At his questioning look, she grinned at him. "Oh, it's okay, Takashi-senpai. I've got this," she said in her sweetest voice.

Mori ducked his head. When he looked back up, he was wearing a big smile. "Alright. You win this one."

Haruhi didn't reply, but her grin got bigger as she followed him inside.

Once they were settled, Haruhi pulled out her schoolwork to look over the courses for the next lesson. Mori sat on the other side of the couch with his laptop open. They didn't bother each other until it Haruhi started yawning over her books. She rubbed her eyes, trying to stay focused; however, Mori shutting his computer distracted her.

She tried to go back to her books after he disappeared. A few minutes later, she blinked at the hand floating in front of her.

She turned her bleary eyes towards him. "Huh?"

Mori simply pulled her up from the couch. "I think it's time for bed." He leaned down to kiss her lightly before directing her to the bathroom.

She managed to realize that it probably was a good idea. She hadn't really been getting anything new out of the books anyway. She got ready for bed, but as she stepped out of the bathroom, she was suddenly shy. She would be sleeping in the same bed as Mori. While it wasn't the first time, the others had been more accidental as they had been worn out from other activities. This time was intentional, and it was after such an emotional day for both of them.

She saw Mori waiting for her in his bedroom doorway. She hesitated a moment before responding to his beckoning. She looked up at him. "You don't mind?" She knew she sounded insecure, but it was how she felt. It was a little fast for everything.

But he looked surprised at her question. "No, of course not." He pulled her to the bed but neither got in. He stood next to her, caressing her shoulders. "Haruhi, if you don't feel comfortable sleeping with me, I'll go sleep on the couch."

Haruhi quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just wasn't sure if you really wanted to. I mean, today's been quite a shock. First, I found out I'm pre…" She stumbled over the word, but she took a breath and forced herself to say it. "I'm pregnant." She didn't know why she was suddenly saying all this, but it came out anyway. It wasn't until she was saying it, that she realized just how much it was bothering her. "Then, when I told you, instead of giving you time to think about it, I tried to break up with you. But instead of agreeing with that or even wanting to just stay dating, you propose to me." She opened her eyes to look up into his. _When did I close them?_ "I love you, I really do. And I believe you when you say you love me, too. I'm just not sure if marrying is the right thing. I don't want you to regret it. It's such a big decision, and you're so young. You have your entire life ahead of you and there are so many better women out there. Are you sure you want to be with me? Knowing just how many problems we're going to have? Are you going to be happy?"

It wasn't until the end that the tears formed. She tried to keep them from falling, but the longer she waited for him to respond, the more upset she felt. _Is he already regretting his decision? Does he regret ever dating me? If we hadn't, then he would be free and clear from all this mess._ She couldn't look at him any longer and dropped her eyes, tears starting to fall. She moved to step back, already deciding that she'd go sleep on the couch, but in the morning, she'd leave. She'd let him have his space. She wouldn't let herself be any more of a burden.

However, before she could take a full step, she felt Mori rest his hands on either side of her face, tilting it up and brushing away her tears. "Haruhi, I love you. Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I told you I had already decided that. There is no one else better than you. No matter what problems we face, I want to face them together, with you beside me. I want to help you with yours; I want you to help me with mine. I told you that before. _I meant it._" He said the last fiercely, as if by sheer will alone, he could make her believe it. "I. Love. _You._ I want _you_. No one else. _Nothing_ else." His soft kiss lingered on her lips. "Do you believe me, now?" he asked softly.

Haruhi's heart overfilled with joy. Now the tears running down her face were ones of happiness. She smiled at him. "Yes," she said simply.

They both moved at the same time to hug each other and share another kiss. It wasn't one full of passion but one of pure love.

They didn't say anything as they got into bed. They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Seeing as I'm going to be quite busy tomorrow and you all are such a wonderful audience, I decided to post the next chapter early. I didn't want to make you all wait for it. I'm so sorry to disappoint you for the early release. ;) Anyway, enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

Haruhi woke up feeling something was different. The bed just didn't feel right. She opened her eyes, frowning. Granted she didn't have her glasses on, but the room didn't look right; it looked bigger and… just different. She realized that it was Mori's room. Then it hit her. She remembered everything from yesterday. _Oh, god. I'm pregnant. And I'm engaged to Takashi._ She turned over and buried her head in her pillow. There was so much that was about to change.

It took her a minute to realize the shower had been shut off, that it had been running in the first place. She quickly got up, not wanting Mori to see her just lying in bed. She normally got up early anyway. She grabbed her glasses and looked at the time from Mori's clock on the other side of the bed.

"_Holy Crap! I'm late for classes! Takashi-senpai!_" Mori burst through the door at Haruhi's shout. She barely recognized that he was half-dressed. She rushed to her overnight bag, pulling out some clothes, not caring if it was an outfit or not. "I'm late! Why didn't you wake me up?! I'm going to miss everything and get behind. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap." She tried pushing past him to get to the bathroom, but he didn't let her. His arms wrapped around her, pinning her arms and clothes to her body, and she was stuck with her side pressed against him. "Takashi-senpai! Let go! We're late enough as it is," she said as she struggled for a moment. Belatedly, she realized he was laughing. _He's laughing? What is he laughing at? ME?!_ "What!" she huffed at him. "What is so funny?"

He rested his forehead against her. "I love you," was all he said.

It made her pause long enough to notice that she had a half-naked, gorgeous man who she loved wrapped around her. That shut down all her thinking. She relaxed against him. "I love you, too." She struggled to remember to be responsible. "Takashi-senpai, we really are late." At least she said it calmly this time.

He chuckled again. "No, we're not."

She wiggled enough to be able to look at him. "What do you mean, 'No, we're not'?" He had a large smile on his face.

"We forgot something yesterday." He loosened his arms so she could turn to face him but didn't let her go completely.

"What did we forget?"

"Classes were canceled for the tournament." Haruhi could only stare at him flabbergasted. _How could I have forgotten?_ "Don't worry, I forgot, too, until I checked my phone this morning. I decided to let you sleep in." He looked down at her, still with that smile on his face. "And you certainly did. I thought you were hibernating."

His teasing registered and she relaxed a little, even if she was now embarrassed. Haruhi finally found her voice. "Oh, god." She dropped her head to rest against his chest. "I feel like an idiot."

Mori hugged her again, laughing. "I still love you." She could only groan. "At least we have some time to relax today."

Haruhi nodded and pushed away from him. She needed to back off from all that lovely, warm, soft skin. "Well, I still may as well get ready." She looked down at what she had. "But not with these." She trudged back to her bag. She heard Mori laugh again as he left the room. It felt good to hear him laugh. He didn't do it often enough.

She just wished it hadn't been at her expense. She sighed and left for her turn in the shower.

…

As she was eating breakfast, Mori brought over a notebook. She took a quick look at it and noticed he had covered the page with notes.

"I've been busy this morning. I've done some research and found a good doctor. When I called this morning to talk to them, they said they had an appointment for this afternoon from a cancelation. I hope you don't mind that I took it." He eyed her uncertainly. "If you don't want to, I can cancel it."

She was surprised that he had done that. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. She didn't like the feeling that she was being managed. "I don't know. I thought that was something I would decide, or at least we would decide together."

He took her hand and squeezed a little. "I know, but I just want to make sure you're both okay. He's a good doctor," he said trying to convince her. She still hesitated. "Here, look at everything I found. Then you can make a decision."

Haruhi debated on canceling the appointment outright or looking at what he was showing her; she couldn't just blindly accept his decision. She decided to look at it. The notebook was neatly laid out with the information on several doctors. She was surprised at the level of detail included. As she studied it, she concluded that Mori had made a good decision.

She pushed it away. "Alright, I guess he is the best doctor." She wasn't sure if she felt disgruntled or not.

Mori rubbed her arm. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

And just like that, all her resentment disappeared. It was his way of showing he cared. She smiled softly. "Thanks, senpai. I love you."

Mori hugged her. After a moment, he said, "You do realize that we're more than simply senpai and kohai."

Haruhi looked up. "That's right, you're my fiancé." She got an impish grin on her face. "So should I call you Takashi-sama?" she teased as if he was her lord. She giggled when he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Would you obey my orders?" he asked in a low voice.

Haruhi gawked at him, surprised that he would say something like that. "Wha – what?!" she sputtered.

Then his face broke into a wide grin and he chuckled. "I'm joking. But I do feel uncomfortable with you calling me 'senpai'."

She could feel her face warm up and knew she was blushing. "Ah, well then, how about just Takashi?"

"Mmm. I like that better. Are you okay with it?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. I just am getting used to our relationship, is all."

"Ah," was all he replied with. Eventually, he pulled back and she was able to finish her breakfast. "Do you feel like going out?" he asked as soon as she was finished.

That came out of the blue for Haruhi. "Huh?"

He smiled at her. "I haven't bought you a ring yet, since I thought I had plenty of time. I thought we could go look together before your appointment."

She blushed, but shook her head. "I don't need one."

He brushed his palm against her cheek. "But I want to. It would make this more real for me. Would you mind?"

She was touched that he really did care for her so much. And a bit amused by the well-hidden possessive part of him that she sensed. "Alright. I'll go with you."

…

Mori led Haruhi to his car after the appointment. Before they got in the car, he just held her for a few minutes. It had stressed her out with all the questioning and poking the doctor had done. Mori had been with her for most of it – he left for the more embarrassing part of the exam – and helped her a lot. Haruhi really appreciated how much he was supporting her.

"How about we go out to eat? I'm sure by now you're hungry," he said.

Haruhi nodded her head. "That sounds good." She didn't feel up to cooking tonight. "Thank you." She gave him a small smile.

"No problem." Mori kissed her lightly and helped her into the car. They discussed where to go as he drove through the parking garage. He won the discussion for a more expensive place that offered excellent but simple food.

Haruhi leaned back in the seat, a little disgruntled. "You won't win every time."

When he didn't pull out into traffic immediately, she turned to look at him. He was looking at her. She thought he looked a little hurt. "I don't."

She felt bad. She leaned forward and kissed him quickly. "I know. I'm sorry; I didn't really mean it."

Mori gave her a smile and a quick kiss in return. "So, you don't really mind going there?"

Haruhi smiled back. "No, I don't."

"Okay," he said, and he drove.

She looked down at her new ring. It was beautiful. She still couldn't believe that she was engaged to Mori. She was _just_ starting to get used to the idea that she was pregnant. She still felt scared and unhappy about the situation. _Aren't women supposed to be happy they're pregnant? Why aren't I?_ But she knew why. This was throwing her life completely out of control. She might not ever be able to get her degree. It depends so much on unpredictable events. Her mother already _had_ her degree and license before having her. Plus, it wasn't just her life that was being affected; everyone else was going to be, too.

She sighed and leaned her head back with her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?" she heard Mori ask.

She lifted her head and smiled at him. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "About what?"

"Everything."

He reached over and held her hand. After a moment, he said, "It'll be okay. _We'll_ be okay. I'll make sure."

Haruhi smiled slightly. She quickly squeezed his hand. She appreciated his determination, but she knew that sometimes life just decided for you, and it wasn't always what you wanted; look how her mother had been taken from her. But she wanted to believe in him. She was determined that she would help him make things work.

They arrived at the restaurant and Mori got them a semi-private table. Without saying anything to each other, they agreed to keep the conversation neutral. They started talking about their friends' lives, school, simple stuff, while eating. Mori finally told her about being a mediator with Kyouya between the Haninozuka and the Ootori companies.

"Apparently," Mori said with a small smirk that Haruhi was surprised to see. "Ootori-san is so desperate to have the Haninozuka business back that he agreed to let the business transactions go through me. However, he didn't want to deal with me directly and assigned Kyouya to deal with it."

Haruhi shook her head, now understanding the smirk. It felt good to see the senior Ootori having to bow to what was right. "At least he didn't throw it out completely. I just hope it's a sign that he's changing his mind about what it takes to succeed – brains and talent over family background." They shared a smile. "So, when did this start?"

"Four days ago. I have to admit, I was surprised at first when Uncle Yorihisa and Father had assigned me to the task. But then I realized that Mitsukuni had too much going on to deal with this as well."

Haruhi nodded, understanding what he meant. Honey was doing a dual major in business and engineering, was starting his training in the Haninozuka companies, and had a new fiancée to discuss wedding plans with. Even taking into account his new situation with Haruhi, Mori still had it comparatively easier. "How do you feel about it, now?"

Mori shrugged. "I've only just started. So far, we're just renewing the training contracts without any changes. The Ootoris don't have any supply contracts that need dealing with right now, which is a good thing. From what I understand, those require extensive research to complete safely. Really, it isn't that much work for Kyouya or me, at least for right now. The main work is done by the same project groups from both companies. All Kyouya and I need to do right now is review the contracts to make sure there's nothing either family objects to."

Haruhi nodded again, but she was curious about something. "Did you ever find out what Ootori-sama wanted to change?"

Mori's lips thinned as he nodded. "He wanted to remove anyone related by blood, marriage, or major affiliation to the Morinozukas from all positions of authority. When Uncle Yorihisa and Father cancelled his contracts, he had a good taste of what he wanted. Apparently, it wasn't to his palate."

Haruhi shook her head at his analogy, but she couldn't stop the smile. "Well, I hope he's learning."

"I think so," he replied.

The conversation turned back to their friends just before they finished. Haruhi was glad they kept away from anything that had happened for the last couple of days. They were able to leave feeling relaxed for the first time in two days.

…

In the morning, Mori brought to Haruhi's attention something that she had been unconsciously ignoring. "Haruhi, have you thought about telling Kyouya?"

Haruhi hugged herself. She felt miserable about that. "I don't know. I mean, I know he'll figure it out no matter what, but…"

Mori waited for her to finish. When she couldn't, he asked. "But?"

In a quiet voice, she forced herself to complete her thought. "But I don't want to cause any more problems for him."

Mori quickly pulled her into the comfort of his embrace. "He should still know, and he should hear it from you. It'll hurt him more if he finds out on his own."

Haruhi nodded against him. "You're right, but I don't know if I can do it just yet. Can we talk about this after we tell our parents?" She looked up at him pleadingly. She had so much to worry about already that she felt that she was just adding to the list without removing anything. She wanted, at least, to get their parents off the Worry List before she added anything else.

Mori looked at her for a moment before he leaned down and gave her a soft, loving kiss. "Okay, we'll talk about it later," he said when he pulled back.

Haruhi gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She sighed and sat back down. He settled next to her. After a few minutes of holding each other, she finally said what was on her mind. "I've been thinking. I don't know about your parents, but I think I should tell my dad the truth. I'm pretty sure he'll keep it to himself if I tell him how serious it is. I mean, he _is_ pretty smart. He'd at first accuse you if we didn't tell him, and I don't want you to get in trouble with him when it's not your fault at all." Mori opened his mouth, but Haruhi spoke before he could. "No, Takashi. I know you'd go through that for me, but I really think I need to tell him the truth." She gave him a wry smile. "Besides, isn't honesty the best policy?"

Mori ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "You're right. Alright, we'll tell him."

Haruhi placed her hand on his arm. "Takashi, I meant that _I'll_ tell him. You don't have anything to confess."

But Mori quickly shot her a chastising look. "First, I'm not letting you tell him everything alone. Second, I still need to ask for his blessing."

Haruhi was surprised that she forgot the second part. She took in his stubborn expression and gave in without arguing. "Okay, then, we'll tell him together." That got her another kiss. This one lasted for a good couple of minutes and got quite passionate. Haruhi had climbed onto Mori's lap and they both had their hands under each other's shirts, when Mori's phone rang.

"Arg," Haruhi grumbled as Mori reached for it.

But she wasn't about to get off his lap. She snuggled into him, resting her head on the unoccupied side. She heard him greet the caller – Honey – but decline a visit from him. Haruhi listened to him talk but was more interested in the soft pulse just inches from her lips. She couldn't resist. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss there. She felt his hand caress her back. But she wasn't satisfied with that and started some serious nibbling on his neck. She smiled when she felt his breath hitch and his hand fist in her shirt. In turn, she snuck her hands back under his shirt. He quickly got off the phone with Honey.

He pulled her head up and gave her another passionate kiss. "That wasn't very nice," he said, his voice husky, when he came up for air.

She rocked against him. "The evidence says contrary, Counselor."

That brought his lips back to hers. They eventually made it back to the bedroom, consummating their desire.

…

Haruhi laid snuggled next to Mori. It was the first time they had made love since they had found out she was pregnant. She couldn't stop caressing his chest, just as he couldn't stop caressing her arm. She really did love him and she felt blessed that he felt the same about her. Her thoughts resolutely turned to the one topic that couldn't go away. She was a little scared of what laid ahead of her. Okay, a _lot_ scared. Her life was about change drastically, forever. She clutched Mori and buried her head against him. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but she tried to keep them there.

Mori held her tightly. "What is it?"

"It's too fast. Everything's changing too fast."

He was silent for a moment. Then, he asked, "Do you still want to marry me?"

Haruhi held him tighter. "Yes, I do. It's just – it's just – _I'm pregnant_." The last came out as a whisper. "I have no idea what to do. I don't know what I'm _going_ to do. I mean, I just started college, what's going to happen with that? Will I still be able to go? And our friends are going to freak when they hear. And other people are going to say stuff about us, cause problems. It's just…" She took a deep breath. "I'm just a little overwhelmed."

Mori just rubbed her back and arm for a minute before he replied. "I know. But I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. We'll figure everything out together. For now, we'll just take things one step at a time."

Haruhi was so lost, she couldn't think; she could only trust him. She took another deep breath. "Okay." She started to feel a little more settled after that. _And didn't I just decide to focus on our parents first? Takashi's right, one step at a time._ "Okay," she repeated with yet another deep breath. She sat up so she could more easily look him in the eyes, and leaned on one arm. "Thank you." She smiled at him. "I really mean it. I love you so much and knowing you're here with me helps. So, thank you."

Mori gave her a soft smile. "No need to thank me. I love you, too. I'll always be here for you."

That made her feel really warm inside. She sat there smiling at him for a moment before she brought up his parents. "So, we know what we're going to tell my dad. What do you think we should tell your parents?"

Mori watched her for a while, just caressing her arm. Haruhi didn't rush him; she knew he needed to think.

"It'd be best to tell them everything except _who_ the father is. First, I don't think they'd believe your baby is mine if we tried to claim that, and second I don't like lying to them. But I don't want to tell them Kyouya's the father. I'm still not sure how they feel about him. I _think_ they think highly of him, but it may affect our businesses, eventually if not now, if they know and it shouldn't."

Haruhi agreed with him. She also didn't want to lie to them. She liked them and it was just as wrong to lie to them as it was to her dad. She smiled at him. "That sounds good." But then she had another thought. "How are they going to take it? I mean, I'm in a pretty bad situation; I'm drawing your family into a scandal."

"They'll understand. They're pretty good at that. And they'll see that this is for the best. They'll help minimize any stories that start. Besides, they knew I had already planned on asking you to marry me. This is just a little early." He smiled at her.

Haruhi was flustered. "They… ah… what?"

Mori chuckled at her. He sat up and kissed her quickly. He just went to his bathroom without answering. She could hear the water for the shower start. Then he called to her, startling her. "You're welcome to join me…"

Haruhi blushed at the offer and stayed where she was. Yes, they had been intimate several times and she had agreed to marry him, but she was still too shy to do _that_.

When Mori emerged, she took her turn in the shower. When she returned to the living room, she asked, "When did you want to talk to our parents?"

"That is up to you," he replied calmly.

Haruhi played with the hem of her shirt. "Well, I really don't want to have to do this, but I also don't like sitting around in knots." She took a big breath. "I think it'd be best to just get it over with." She looked up at him with apprehension. _Is he _really_ ready to tell his parents? He only just found out a couple of days ago…_

Mori hugged her. "That's sounds like a good idea. We can do it whenever you're ready."

Haruhi held tighter, thankful for having such a wonderful boyfriend. _No, he's my fiancé, now_, she reminded herself. "Could we talk to them today? Before I lose my courage?"

Mori kissed the top of her head. "I can see if they're available for a long lunch. Would that be alright?" Haruhi nodded her head, unable to say anything. "Okay." After a moment, he said softly, "Haruhi, you need to let me go so I can call them."

She jumped back, embarrassed. "Ah, sorry." She just knew she was blushing fiercely. _Of course he needed me to let go…_

Mori chuckled and ruffled her hair.

She turned to go back to the bedroom as she heard him greet his parents. She didn't feel comfortable just waiting for Mori's answer. _The sheets need changing, anyway_. As she was straightening Mori's comforter, Mori came in. He handed her one of the pillows and placed the other at the head of the bed on his side. She took her time smoothing her pillow. She waited for him to say something, anything. She could feel his eyes on her as she needlessly fussed over the bed.

She glanced at the dirty sheets. "Should I go ahead and wash these?" she asked as she picked them up. She felt him come up to her, and she finally looked him in the eye.

"I'll wash them later." He took them from her and put them in his laundry basket. She sat on the bed, not able to do anything else because of how nervous she was. She looked up when he came back because he just stood in the doorway, watching her. He finally answered her unasked question. "They agreed to a late lunch and cleared the afternoon for us to talk. We're meeting them at their house at one thirty." She just nodded her head. He looked at her with concern. "Are you sure you want to do this? You shouldn't have so much stress put on you."

Haruhi took a breath. "I know the doctor said my fainting was from stress and that it could be bad for the baby, but if I keep putting off telling them, the stress will just build. I want to at least get their part over with." She walked to Mori and held him. "Yes, I'm nervous as hell, but I know that you'll be there with me." She had a sudden zing of fear and jerked her head up to look at him. "You _will_ be there with me, right? Am I going to have to talk to them by myself?"

Mori kissed her and said, "Yes, I'll be with you, and no, you won't have to talk to them alone." He led her back to the living room. "There's something I want to ask you, something I want to make sure you want. Do you mind if we publicly acknowledge your baby as mine?"

Haruhi was taken back. She wasn't sure why he was asking. Hadn't she already agreed to it? "I'm not sure why you're asking. I thought we agreed it would limit the amount of scandal if we said so. Or is there something else you're trying to get at?"

"What I'm trying to say is if I acknowledge your baby, they'd be raised as a Morinozuka, with all of our family values. They'd be trained in the Morinozuka styles in both Judo and Kendo, encouraged to contribute to the family companies, and if it's a boy, he'd be my heir. If I say your baby is mine, they would _be_ a Morinozuka. Are you okay with this child, and any others we have, to be raised this way?"

Mori studied her, but she wasn't sure what he was looking for. "Oh, well, I kind of already knew that." She was surprised he had to say all that to her. "I mean, no one said it as explicitly as you just did, but, yeah, I know all that. I already accepted it when I agreed to marry you." She smiled at him, wanting to reassure him better since he still looked unsure. She cradled his face in her hands and spoke gently but with conviction. "Morinozuka Takashi, I would be honored for my children to be Morinozukas."

Mori gave her a brilliant smile. He pulled her close and kissed her senseless. Haruhi didn't mind one bit.


	11. Chapter 11

By unspoken agreement, everyone stuck to light-hearted subjects during lunch. After, they moved to the library, to the pair of couches facing each other. Haruhi sat next to Mori, across from Akira and Kazumi, Mori's mother.

Kazumi addressed them first. "When you asked to meet us, Takashi, you said it was important. What is it?"

Mori took a breath. "You know that I was planning on asking Haruhi to marry me, but not until New Year's Eve. Something changed, and two days ago I asked her and she said yes. Please, make no mistake; we have discussed this, and we both love each other and want to marry for that reason."

Kazumi took a swift intake of air. "You fill me with foreboding. What has happened?"

"Haruhi is two months pregnant. No, I am not the father, but I know who is and I knew from the beginning of the incident. I place no blame on either of them. I am willing and eager to raise her child as my own with our name."

Haruhi watched them digest what Mori told them. She sat in silence as they thought through all the implications. She fought with herself not to show her discomfort. Haruhi felt really bad about what she was asking of his family.

Akira eventually asked, "Who is the father?"

Mori bowed to his father. "I am sorry, Father, but we will not tell you. It is for the best to keep it this way."

Akira continued. "Does he know?" Mori shook his head. "_Will_ he know?"

"Eventually. We're not sure when we're going to tell him, though," Mori replied.

"Will he try to claim the child?"

Mori shook his head. "That is extremely doubtful. I would say definitively that he wouldn't, but people can sometimes surprise you."

Akira looked at Mori. "If it is a boy, do you believe there would be any issue with him as your heir?"

"No, Father, and yes, I have carefully considered that question."

There was silence for a minute. Haruhi guessed that Akira was finished questioning Mori.

Kazumi focused her gaze on Haruhi. "You truly wish to marry my son?"

Haruhi gave her own bow. "Yes, ma'am. With all my heart."

"You truly believe you will be happy with him? Not just short term, but for the rest of your lives?" Kazumi continued.

Haruhi smiled. "Yes."

"And you are willing for this child and any future ones to be raised as Morinozukas? Are _you_ willing to accept the name of Morinozuka?"

"Yes, ma'am. It would be an honor for my children and me to be a part of your family and to share your name."

Kazumi smiled. "While the circumstances could be better, we are glad to have you join our family."

Mori squeezed Haruhi's hand. She turned from the smiling faces of his parents to his own smiling face. She had been so nervous, and now she was so happy. She had been accepted, welcomed even, in spite of her situation. For the first time, she thought that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out better than she had first anticipated.

"Have you told your father, yet?" Kazumi asked Haruhi.

Haruhi shook her head. "No," she said with a quick glance at Mori. "We're going to try to talk to him tonight. He should be home early if he hasn't taken a double shift."

Akira cleared his throat. Mori and Haruhi turned to him. "If you need to keep this a secret for a few more days, it might be best for Satoshi not to know just yet."

Kazumi covered her mouth, but Haruhi could hear a small snicker escape in spite of her efforts.

Mori closed his eyes. "That… might be for the best." Haruhi was confused, but she decided to leave it until they were alone before she asked about it.

"Ah," was the only reply.

…

The silence in the car as Mori drove to Haruhi's apartment was peaceful. She appreciated the rest before having to deal with another stressful scene. Eventually, though, she broke the silence. "Takashi, I'm just curious, but why are we keeping this from Satoshi-kun?"

"He can't keep his mouth shut," Mori replied with a wry smile. "Even if he doesn't have all the facts, he will announce his own interpretation of things. And his most common companion is Yasuchika. In spite of Yasuchika's distaste of speaking to Mitsukuni, he won't pass up the chance to gloat that he knows something before Mitsukuni does. Father knew that since we haven't spoken to Ranka-san yet, then we definitely haven't told Mitsukuni. Father knew that it would be better for us to tell him when we are ready, rather than for him to find out through Yasuchika and Satoshi. It would hurt him too much."

Haruhi nodded her head even if he couldn't see it. "I wouldn't want to do that to him." She then started to remember her few interactions with Satoshi. She remembered when everyone found out that Mori and Honey were going for separate degrees. Mori had been so tired and had been very out of it for that week. Satoshi had come to his own conclusions as to why he was acting that way. "But now that you've mentioned it, I remember how Satoshi-kun is. I understand why we're not telling him yet."

Haruhi eyed her apartment as they pulled up. The lights were off, so her father wasn't home yet, but he should be soon. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She was so nervous about telling her father everything. _What will he think of me? How mad is he going to be?_ She felt Mori take her hand. She tilted her head to look at him. Seeing the concern, encouragement, and unconditional love in his eyes gave her courage. She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Well, we may as well go up and wait."

Mori gave her a sweet kiss as soon as she was out of the car. He kept his hand on her back all the way inside, giving her support. She appreciated all the more just how wonderful Mori was. She felt so lucky to have his love. She gazed at him in contentment, wrapped up in his embrace. "I want to make sure you know that I love you. Thank you for everything." She received another sweet kiss and even sweeter smile.

"I love you, too," he replied.

With that, they talked about simple things, mostly where they were in their classes, until Ranka came home.

They stood up when he walked in the door.

"Hi, Dad," she said as soon as he was inside.

"Hi, honey. Hi, Mori-kun," he replied wearily.

Haruhi heard his tone of voice and felt bad that they were about to drop this on him. "Are you busy? Takashi and I have something we need to talk to you about."

Ranka came and grabbed her hands. "What is it? Are you pregnant? Did you get hurt?" he gushed in overdramatic panic.

Haruhi closed her eyes in pain. "Dad, please, stop." She opened her eyes again to plead with her father. "Just let me tell you."

Ranka blanched and whispered, "Haruhi…" He closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly steeling himself for whatever news she had to tell him. He dropped in the chair across from them. "Alright, give it to me."

"Dad, do you remember the graduation party I went to with the guys a couple of months ago?" Ranka nodded his head. "Remember I told you that we had had a mini bachelor's party for Kyouya-senpai?" Ranka again nodded his head. "Well, everyone had had quite a bit to drink, me included." Ranka glared at Mori. Haruhi shook her head. "Kyouya-senpai – " Ranka whipped his head to look at her, shocked. Mori took her hand in both of his. She took a breath and started again. "Kyouya-senpai and I were the last ones awake. We… well, we did something that I'm not proud of." She started to shake a little. Her dad was going to be so mad at her. "We – We – " But she couldn't continue. Mori hugged her just as the tears started to fall.

"She found out two days ago that she's two months pregnant." There was a terrible silence. Then, Mori continued. "Ranka-san, I hope you know that I love your daughter very much. I want to watch over her, protect her, provide for her, for the rest of my life. I asked her to marry me and she accepted. I'll acknowledge her child as mine."

Ranka was still silent for a long time. While Mori and Haruhi waited for his response, Haruhi finally calmed enough to sit up, but she couldn't look at her father.

"So this is your answer?" Ranka was unusually calm.

Haruhi looked up at him. However, he wasn't looking at either of them; instead, he looked between them at the back wall.

"Both of you, this is your solution?" he asked in his still calm voice.

They nodded to him. "We're marrying because we love each other," Haruhi said simply. "We're just speeding it up a little."

"And you have no reservations about marrying Haruhi, now that you've found out about this?" His voice was _still_ unchanging. Haruhi was getting nervous about it. _What is he thinking?_

Mori shook his head. "I knew all along." Haruhi gripped his hand.

Ranka looked directly at Mori. "Are you really ready to accept and love another man's child?"

Mori stiffened a little. "First, it's Haruhi's child, too. I could not help but love any of her children. Second, it's not just another man who's the father. Kyouya is a close friend of mine. He's almost like a brother to me. And no, it won't cause problems between us. I understand him, and he understands me."

Ranka closed his eyes and again sat silent for a while. Again, Mori and Haruhi waited for him to speak.

"Have you told him, yet?" he asked when he opened his eyes.

They shook their heads.

He looked sharply at Mori. "_Are_ you going to tell him?"

They nodded their heads. Haruhi answered him. "Yes. No matter what, he'll figure it out, that he's the father, but we'll tell him before we tell anyone else that I'm pregnant." Haruhi noticed Ranka only gave her a quick glance.

"We'll do it soon," Mori added.

Ranka looked at Mori again. "Are you really okay with this? This is a hard path you're choosing to follow."

"Yes, absolutely and always," was Mori's unequivocal reply.

"And do your parents support this?"

"Yes."

Haruhi was a little confused and hurt that Ranka kept his attention focused on Mori. She had expected her dad's anger, but not his disregard.

"Dad…" she whispered, hoping to have him turn his attention to her.

"You have my blessing. I hope – " Ranka's voice broke. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I just need some time to myself."

Mori stood up, bringing Haruhi with him. "I understand. Haruhi can stay with me." He hesitated before continuing. "Ranka-san, please don't say anything to anyone about this, at least who the father is or isn't. With Kyouya – "

But Ranka waived him silent. "I understand. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He wouldn't look at either of them, though.

Haruhi was really hurt and confused, now. _Is he really sending me away from him? Is he rejecting me?_ "Dad?" she called beseechingly.

Ranka shook his head. "Honey, I love you. Nothing will change that. I just need to be by myself right now."

Mori murmured in her ear. "Let him have some time. He's had a bad shock."

Haruhi didn't resist as he led her back out the door. She took one last look at her father. He was bent over and had tears running down his face. As they were walking away, she could hear her father sobbing. Tears were running down her face, too. She hadn't wanted to do this to him. She had always wanted to make him proud of her. Now… She stumbled a little on the steps. Mori quickly swept her up into his arms. She buried her face into his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't stop when he placed her in his car; she didn't stop when he picked her back up; she didn't stop when he laid her in his bed.

But when he got in beside her, and wrapped her in his arms and the warm blankets, the tears finally gave way to sleep.

…

When she woke up the next morning, she felt miserable, physically and mentally. The first thing on her mind was her father. She had disappointed him so badly. She had hurt him so badly, and he had acted as if he hated her. She felt like crying, but the tears wouldn't come. Her eyes were sore and puffy, and her nose was almost painfully stuffed. She thought a hot shower might help her out. She opened the door, not paying much attention to the noise in the living room. She glanced over automatically and got a shock.

"Kyouya-senpai…" she whispered. She hadn't expected him to see him. To be sitting there talking with Mori. It was too much. After what she had experienced last night with her father, she couldn't deal with it. She immediately felt weak and heard a soft roaring. She faintly heard Mori calling her name but she couldn't respond. She felt him pick her up and put her back in bed. She covered her face. He caressed her head murmuring apologies to her for not warning her. It took a few seconds more before she could talk; now the tears came. "I can't," she whispered, shaking. "I can't. Not now." She curled up against him.

"It's okay. He only came by for business." He held her close.

"Haruhi? Are you okay?" Kyouya called from the doorway.

She clutched at Mori upon hearing his voice. She didn't know how to answer that without lying, and being called on it. She didn't want to admit the truth and couldn't pull herself from Mori's chest.

Mori spoke instead. "Kyouya, could you give us a minute?" Haruhi heard the bedroom door close. "Haruhi, I'm so sorry. I didn't think that you wouldn't know he was here. I thought you would hear him when you woke up. He came by to discuss some business and I couldn't turn him away."

Haruhi held onto Mori. "I can't. I can't tell him. He'll hate me, too," she sobbed.

"Haruhi… no one hates you. It was – "

Haruhi didn't want to hear any platitudes Mori might have told her. "My dad does," she said, cutting him off. She remembered exactly how her father had treated her last night. Mori held her closer and started rocking her. "And Kyouya-senpai will, too."

"Haruhi, your dad doesn't hate you and neither will Kyouya. Your dad was just shocked last night. He just needs time to absorb what we told him. He'll eventually be okay. He doesn't hate you. He loves you. Kyouya will be shocked, too, but he'll be fine. I'm sure."

Haruhi shook her head. She still clutched tightly to Mori, crying. After a while of simply being held, the tears stopped.

Mori leaned back a little. "Do you feel any better?"

Haruhi sniffed. "A little. I'd like to go take a shower."

Mori helped her stand but still held her in his arms. "That sounds like a good idea. But when you're done, I think we need to tell Kyouya." She looked up at him in horror. Mori rubbed her back. "Think about it. He's probably feeling hurt from your reaction and worried about you. He has to know that _something_ is going on. It'd be better to talk to him before he can investigate on his own."

Haruhi didn't respond for a bit. She didn't want to deal with Kyouya immediately after the fiasco of last night. But Mori had a point. She sighed and nodded. Mori kissed the top of her head and left. She went to get some clothes to change into in the bathroom and noticed that she only had one more clean outfit. She felt depressed thinking about it. She didn't want to have to face her dad to get the rest of her stuff. And was she supposed to be living with Mori permanently now? She decided that she'd talk with Mori about it later. She didn't look up as she scooted into the bathroom.

She took longer than necessary to get ready, postponing the inevitable. Eventually, she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She took a big breath before she opened the door. Both men looked over at her when she appeared. She was extremely nervous. She sat next to Mori and looked at him, wondering what he's told Kyouya.

Mori kissed her on her forehead. "We've wrapped up our business," he answered as if he read her mind. "Are you okay?"

Haruhi nodded. She glanced over at Kyouya nervously. "I'm sorry, Kyouya-senpai, for earlier."

"Haruhi, don't worry about that," Kyouya replied. "But I'd like to know what's going on. This isn't like you." He sounded calm with a slight hint of concern to her ears.

She bit her lip and glanced down. What to tell him first? "Takashi and I are getting married."

She winced at Kyouya's swift intake of air. "This is fast. I'll assume you want to…" She looked up at him and quickly nodded her head. "Then, what made you so upset?"

She wrung her hands, and glanced up at Mori when he took them in his. He nodded his head, and she gathered her courage to say what she needed to. She took a deep breath. "I'm two months pregnant."

Kyouya stared at her, wide-eyed. He sat back in his seat and expelled his breath in a rush. "You're sure?" Haruhi nodded her head. "Who – who is the father?" he asked shakily.

She knew why he was asking; he couldn't know how far or how quickly her and Mori's relationship had progressed, couldn't assume it was his. Haruhi felt the tears come again. She knew she was about to totally fuck up his life. She couldn't look at him. "You are," she whispered.

Kyouya stared, silent, at her for a moment before dropping his gaze to the floor. "I am so sorry, Haruhi. This is my fault."

"No, senpai, it's not just your fault. It's mine, too," she said quietly. She felt miserable that this had happened to them.

Mori hugged her. "It's both and neither," he said to both of them. "It was an accident. Sometimes, things happen." Everyone sat in silence for a while. "I think this is something that we all need to think over before we discuss it."

Kyouya nodded his head. "That… sounds like a good idea." He collected his stuff.

Mori called out to him before he reached the door. "Kyouya," Kyouya turned. "The get-together is in a couple of days. We should talk before then."

Kyouya nodded his head. "I'll give you a call." And he left.

Mori sat with Haruhi for a while after, just holding her. She basked in his comfort and calmness. "Was it as bad as you feared?" he asked eventually.

She sighed. "No. I don't know why I thought he would hate me." She berated herself for her silly fears. She knew her father loved her, even if he was really hurting right now. And she knew that Kyouya wouldn't hate her. She knew them better than to think so.

Mori kissed her forehead. "It's been a stressful few days. How about we relax for the rest of the day and as much of the day tomorrow as possible. Then, we'll be ready to see everyone in a couple of days."

She sighed. "I hope so, because relaxing sounds really good, right now." She nuzzled into his neck. "If I'm staying here for now, I'll need to go back home to get some more clothes. I only have a few outfits." She thought for a moment. "We haven't discussed anything, like when we'll get married, where we'll live, what if – "

Mori cut her off with a soft, slow kiss. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Mmmm… ah, okay." She blinked slowly at him. He chuckled at her. She blushed as she realized he got her sidetracked so easily. "Anyways, do you mind if I borrow your washer?"

He grinned at her. "No, that's no problem."

She smiled shyly back at him. "Thanks." She thought about getting up to get the work done, but he felt so warm and comfortable. She snuggled further into him. "Maybe in a little bit." She felt his soft chuckle more than heard it, and felt him reach for the t.v. remote.

…

Haruhi decided that she _would_ cook supper, no matter that Mori thought she should rest. She had rested for most of the day. The only time he let her up was when she was doing the laundry. She had washed his clothes with hers because it was more practical, but she blushed at how... _domestic_ it was, like she already belonged in his daily life. And now she was cooking supper for the two of them. Granted, it wasn't the first time she's cooked for him by a long shot, but the act seemed to take on new meaning with everything else included.

She plated the food for them and handed Mori his. They moved to the table to eat. Haruhi sat staring at her plate, not moving to take a bite.

Mori noticed. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Haruhi opened her mouth to say what was on her mind but hesitated, unsure of how to say it. Mori focused all his attention on her. "What is it?"

Haruhi took a deep breath. "How long am I staying here? I mean, I don't want to impose on you, but…" _But if Dad isn't letting me come home, I don't want to go anywhere else. It would be too awkward living with anyone else…_

Mori seemed to understand. "You are welcome to stay as long as you want. I like having you're here with me, especially the past few days. I like being able to care for you." Haruhi felt better hearing that, but she still didn't want to be a burden. "How about you? I know it's been stressful, but do you like being here?"

Haruhi couldn't let him think otherwise. "Yes, I love being with you." She hesitated for a moment before admitting her reservation. "I just don't want to get in the way or be a burden to you."

Mori stared at her for a second before answering. "You are not a burden. Ever. Please, stop thinking that you are. I love you. I want you with me. I'm _happy_ to have you with me. I know you've always been independent, but you need help now. Help I _want_ to give you. That's what marriage means. We help each other."

Haruhi looked down, humiliated. "I hate that I need help. I hate that I am causing all these problems."

Mori interrupted her. "Haruhi, you're not causing all that many problems. The ones that occur, we will handle. Together." He paused and studied her. "Does it really upset you that much that you need me to help you? Are you sure you really want to marry me?"

Haruhi was shocked at his words. _Is that what I have been telling him? That I don't want him? That I don't want to marry him?_ "Oh, god. No! That's not what I meant. I _want_ to marry you. I want to be with you. It's just…" She paused, unsure of the words to say and then found them. "It's just I'm not contributing anything. You're doing everything for me, but I'm not doing anything for you."

Mori smiled at her, looking relieved. "You've done plenty for me. Believe me. And for the next few months, you're going to have a lot of work just growing that baby. If you want, you don't have to leave. You can move in permanently. Or at least until we decide if we're going to move to another place. I'd feel better if you did. And please don't worry about equal work. We have a lifetime to balance it."

It finally sunk in for her. _It really ISN'T so bad to need his help,_ she thought, wonderingly. _And he's right; we'll balance everything out together. I need to stop worrying about it. I need to let it go._ Haruhi smiled at him. "Well, if you put it that way…"

Mori reached across and squeezed her hand. "I do." They stayed that way for a moment before he said, "Do you think you can eat, now?"

She blushed and nodded her head. He released her hand and they both returned to their meal.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Just to give you guys a heads up, but this is the second to last chapter. I'm sad to see it come to a close, but thank you, everyone, for all the support.

* * *

The next morning, Kyouya called. He said he was free in the afternoon if they were also available. They agreed, and Kyouya arrived at their apartment after lunch.

The first thing Kyouya said to them wasn't something Haruhi had expected. "There's something I think you both need to hear. It's a recording of my father talking with Fuyumi. About you, Haruhi." It took her a second to remember that Fuyumi was Kyouya's sister. Haruhi and Mori looked at each other and nodded their heads for him to play it for them. Haruhi was slightly confused as to what Kyouya had. Kyouya seemed to have noticed, because he said, "I want you both to understand why I'm so adamant about keeping silent. Let me play it and then we'll talk about it. Okay?" She nodded again and he pushed play on his laptop.

_"While she may be highly intelligent, Fuyumi, her background and choice of career would be of no benefit to our family. As a family member, her commoner background would be a hindrance in dealing with our business associates and she would be a liability if she tried to represent us. That's supposing she would change from criminal law to corporate. If she stayed in criminal law, she would be an even bigger liability to the family. No one would respect us if we had such a lawyer in the family. I refuse for our family to be subject to such degradation. On a more personal note, our lineage is of noble descent. She is nothing but a commoner. It disgusts me to think of her blood polluting our line. No, it's better for Kyouya to marry someone else. I am not saying he cannot stay friends with her; professionally, her liabilities as a family member become her assets as a family friend. Maybe she will marry into an elite family, but not this one. Kyouya understands the consequences. He will do what's best."_

Kyouya closed the window when the recording ended. "Tachibana recorded it and sent it to me shortly before Father told me of my engagement to Ayame. The consequences he mentioned? He didn't aim them _directly_ at me but rather indirectly through you. While I have never said or done anything to confirm it, he has a strong suspicion of my feelings for you. He said he would have you blacklisted from every form of law you could practice, ruin any reputation you would be able to build, if I ever tried to defy him to pursue a relationship with you. This is why I never said anything to you.

"I know I've mentioned this to you Haruhi, but you can't tell anyone the truth about this. You can't ever reveal who the father of your baby is. He'll destroy you to keep the Ootori name respectable, especially now that I'm married and with such a potential scandal. There is _nothing_ I could do to stop him. I would never have the ability to silence all his contacts if he ever decided to follow through with his threat. And I know him. He wouldn't hesitate to do so. So, please, _please_, promise me you two will keep this between the three of us. I couldn't stand to see anything happen to you."

Haruhi was stunned from what Kyouya had just revealed. _His father hates me that much? He hates what I am so much that he'd do that to me?_ And then another thought hit her. She glanced at Mori quickly and saw he had the same thing on his mind.

"We've already told her father." Kyouya glared when Mori said that, but Mori's tone was firm. "Haruhi's decision, but he's agreed to keep it quiet. My parents know that I'm not the father but not who is." Mori leaned forward to look Kyouya in the eye. "But everyone knows that I'm acknowledging her child as mine, to be raised as a Morinozuka."

Kyouya was silent for a minute, digesting what Mori said. He eventually nodded his head. "I understand. That's… probably for the best. I have thought about it and thought you might do so. But no matter what, I will set up a trust fund for when the child is an adult."

Mori shook his head. "You don't need to do that. I will take care of them."

Kyouya frowned. "It's my child. I _will_ do _something_ to provide for them."

Mori gave him a sympathetic look. "Kyouya, how will justify it? If we cannot admit that you are the father, then how would you be able to do that?"

Kyouya stared at him for a moment before looking down. "I understand I'll never be able to acknowledge my own child, my first born, the child I share with... but I still need to do something for them."

Haruhi buried her face in her hands, her tears flowing freely. She had been sitting silently, listening to the two men talk, unwilling and unable to contribute. But Kyouya's revelation hit her hard. _Oh, god…he's right. He won't ever hear his child call him father, won't be able to spend time with his child AS his child. And… I'm afraid… does he still love me? Oh, god, I hope not. I don't want him to hurt any more than he is…_

Mori asked the same question on her mind. "Kyouya, what are your feelings for Haruhi?" he asked carefully. Haruhi froze, waiting for his answer.

Kyouya's eyes darted between Mori and her. He had a slight smile on his face. He steadied his gaze on her. "I still love you. Please believe that I'll never come between you and Mori-senpai and that I wish you both all the happiness possible. Even though I care for Ayame, it's not love. My feelings for you have never faded."

Haruhi took hold of Mori's hand. "Oh, god… Ayame-senpai… Does she know?"

Kyouya took off his glasses, rubbed his face, and returned them. "She knows I love you and that you're getting married."

Haruhi closed her eyes, slightly calmer but still a little shaken from the conversation. "Poor Ayame-senpai." She couldn't imagine the horror of being married to someone _knowing_ he loved someone else.

"Haruhi, please don't misunderstand," he replied calmly, "she doesn't love me. She never did. We're good partners, but there's no love between us. We knew this would be the relationship we'd have and we accepted it."

Haruhi still couldn't understand willingly having that kind of marriage. "But what if – "

But Mori cut her off, laying a hand on her arm. "Now isn't the time to talk about that."

Haruhi blushed that she had been side-tracked from the real topic. "Sorry."

Mori patted her arm. "Kyouya, we won't deny you access to your child, within reason and barring some extreme situation. And we'll tell you if you want to know anything."

A strange look came over Kyouya's face. Mori and Haruhi waited so he could say what he wanted. "Do – do you know the baby's gender yet?"

Haruhi gave a wry smile, remembering the appointment. "No, the doctor said we have to wait until the baby's ready to show us, which may take a while. We just have to be patient until then."

Haruhi suddenly remembered something from one of her classes. She glanced at Mori, hoping he wouldn't mind since they hadn't talked about it. "I have an idea. It's something that was mentioned in my Cultures class. There's a western custom of 'Godparents'. It's where you name someone guardian of your child if anything happens to both parents. Yes, usually our extended families would take care of them gladly, but this is an unusual case. What if we name Kyouya-senpai as the baby's Godfather? It would give legitimacy for Kyouya-senpai's involvement in his child's life." _I hope they think it's a good solution, too_. She studied their faces for their reactions. She witnessed the look of surprise and then thoughtfulness on both of them. Kyouya almost looked hopeful.

Mori rubbed his chin. "It… could work," he said slowly. He glanced at Kyouya. "What do you think?"

Kyouya nodded his head. "I would like that. We could justify it as tying our families together so my father cannot jeopardize our company again."

"Would your families have an issue with it?" Haruhi asked.

Both of them shook their heads. "I'm pretty sure they won't if we use that reasoning," Mori said with a glance to Kyouya.

Kyouya nodded his head. "I agree."

Mori smiled at Haruhi. "That was a good idea."

Haruhi blushed at his complement. "Well, it just came to me. I didn't think it was right for Kyouya-senpai not to be involved."

Kyouya smiled at her, too. "Thank you, Haruhi. I really appreciate it." His smile faded a little. It was still there, but just barely. "In that case, I will still set up a trust fund. I will also help you with anything you need." At Mori's slight frown, he quickly said, "I know you can provide for her and the baby, but I was more thinking of dealing with the publicity. You can never have too much help with that."

That seemed to mollify Mori. He nodded his head once to Kyouya. "Thank you. My parents and I will do a lot to minimize anything, but you're right, your help would be appreciated there."

Kyouya gave a wry twist of his lips. "It's the least I can do since this is partially my fault." He paused for a moment. He looked earnestly at both of them. "I really am sorry for my part in this. Please believe me. I really do believe that you two deserve each other and that you will be happy together. I will never do anything to jeopardize that no matter my own feelings. Or rather because of them. Haruhi, I know you're happy, and that's what really matters."

Haruhi smiled at him. "Thank you. I just hope that you can be happy, too."

Kyouya gave a small but true smile in return. But that quickly turned into a smirk. "Of course I'll be happy. Once the company is in my name, I'll be quite satisfied seeing the faces of Father, Yuuichi, and Akito when I expand the company far beyond what they had ever envisioned."

Haruhi was shocked to hear that. All through high school, he hadn't had that optimism that he just displayed. Even still, she thought it was still up in the air for who the successor is.

Of course, Kyouya noticed, and with that smirk still firmly in place, simply said, "I'm announcing it to everyone tomorrow. You'll just have to wait until then." He paused for a moment. "Speaking of everyone, when are you going to tell them? Tomorrow?"

Haruhi quickly shook her head before Mori could consider it. She had had too much stress in the last couple of days. She just wanted to relax with everyone tomorrow and said so.

"Well," Kyouya said as he checked the time, "I'd better be going." They all stood up and walked him to the door. "Again, if you need anything, you know I'll help, especially as I have extensive medical resources," he offered.

They both smiled and shook their heads at him. Haruhi replied with a small chuckle, "Of _course_ you'd have those."

Kyouya simply pushed his glasses back up in response, which made Haruhi giggle. "I'll see you tomorrow, Haruhi, Mori-senpai."

"Later," Mori replied.

After Kyouya left, they sat together on the couch, talking about the discussion they'd just had. Neither really had anything new to add. Eventually, they wound down and just sat in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence.

Haruhi started thinking about what she needed to take care of next. Mori had invited her to move in permanently. That meant there were a few things to take care of. "Takashi?" Haruhi asked hesitantly, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"If I'm moving in, I'll need to get the rest of my stuff." Haruhi was nervous about confronting her father again. "Do you think Dad would mind if I went over to get them?"

Mori thought for a moment. "I'm not sure about that, but you'll still need to get them even if he's still upset. You should call him. You'll never know unless you talk to him."

Haruhi gnawed on her bottom lip as she thought about it. She knew he was right, but she was nervous about her dad's reaction to her moving so soon after everything else. But this was her dad. She really did want to talk with him.

She reached across Mori to retrieve her phone. She stared at it, still trying to gather her courage. Thankfully, Mori didn't say anything but gave her his silent support by just being there. Finally, she dialed. Her nervousness grew as the phone kept ringing and eventually went to voicemail. "Hi, Dad. It's Haruhi. Um, yeah, of course you know it's me. Who else would call you 'Dad'?" She gave a weak chuckle. She winced as she heard herself. She hated how nervous she sounded. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, if you ever get a chance. Um, call me? I love you, Dad. 'Bye." She hung up. She buried her face in her hands. After a moment, she exclaimed, "UGH! Could that have been more awkward?"

Mori rubbed her arm. "I take it he wasn't there?"

Haruhi shook her head. "No. I guess I'm just waiting until he calls me back." _Alright, no sitting around moping. I need to get busy._ She took a large, cleansing breath. "So, what do you want for supper? I'm cooking."

Mori eyed her. It wasn't quite a glare, but it still showed his wariness. "Haruhi – " he started.

Haruhi knew he was about to argue with her, but she _needed_ to do something, something thoroughly engrossing. She cut him off. "Please don't start, Takashi. I need to." She got up to see what he had in his pantry. _Hmmm… he's got most of everything I'd need for curry. I wonder if he'd be interested. It's not something I've done for him before._ "How about curry? I'd need to go out for a couple of things, but it's not much. Do you like curry?"

She turned around to look at him standing in the doorway when she heard his sigh. She bit her lip as she watched him. She hoped he liked it. She _hoped_ he wouldn't fight her on this. After a tense moment, he said, "Curry is fine. It's been a while since I've had it."

Haruhi smiled in relief. "Great, I'll just run down to the store real quick." She squeezed past him and started putting on her shoes. She noticed he followed her and could see the internal conflict in his eyes. She really didn't need him following her around everywhere. She may be pregnant, but she didn't need to be coddled. "Don't worry. I'll be quick, and I'll have my phone on me if you think of anything I should pick up." His face cleared and she thought she had made her point. "I'll be right back," she said and turned to leave. But before she could open the door, she heard Mori clear his throat. She looked back at him. He was putting on his shoes, too. "Umm, Takashi… You don't need to come."

"Yes, I do," he calmly stated, as he checked for his wallet. She watched as he opened the door, a little hurt that he would be this pushy. "I don't have any cash on me, so I'll have to use my card. Unless you have enough money on you?"

Embarrassment flooded her as she realized that she had completely forgotten about paying. No, she didn't have enough money on her, and besides, it was part of their bargain that he pay for any ingredients. "Ah, sorry. No, I don't have any money on me."

Mori took her hand as she followed him out. "Don't worry; I'll take care of that. I'll set you up with your own card on Monday." Haruhi started to protest that it wasn't necessary but he beat her to it. "That way you'll be able to shop by yourself." He smiled down at her as he said that.

She smiled back at him, thankful that he knew her so well that she valued her independence. While she _was_ dependent on Mori for everything at the moment, this would give her some of her independence back. So she accepted it without fuss. "Alright. And don't worry, I won't rob you blind." She couldn't resist teasing him a bit.

Mori chuckled as they walked down the street.

…

Haruhi was in the middle of cooking when her phone rang. She jumped when she heard it, unsure if she hoped or dreaded that it was her father. "Takashi, can you get it? I'm stuck in here." She heard Mori answer her phone. She then heard Mori come up behind her, and from the way he was talking, it _did_ sound like it was her dad on the other end. She quickly finished the portion she was working on and cut off the stove. She took a deep breath and turned around, letting Mori know that she was ready to talk.

"Alright, Ranka-san. Here is Haruhi." He watched her carefully as she took the phone.

"Dad?" she asked when she put the phone to her ear.

"Hi, honey," he replied. Haruhi winced at how weary he sounded. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Umm," Haruhi had to take a moment to collect herself. She hadn't expected the sudden lump that formed in her throat, or the tears that filled her eyes. She had to clear her throat before she could speak. "Yeah, Dad. I wasn't sure if you would call me back." She paused for a moment, but Ranka didn't respond. Her heart plummeted. "I'm so sorry, Dad." She started crying. "Please believe me. I never meant for this to happen. I actually didn't mean to do anything with Kyouya-senpai. I'm so sorry that I let you down. Please, Dad, don't hate me." The last came out as a whisper. Mori wrapped his arms around her, giving her what comfort he could. She leaned her head against him, waiting, praying, that her father would answer favorably.

At long last, she heard a sigh from Ranka. "I don't hate you, honey. You're my baby girl. I love you. I'm still pretty shocked about all this, though. It's pretty hard for me to accept everything. Haruhi, you're still so young. So is Mori-kun." He sighed again. "Although, I _do_ understand the effects of alcohol. I hadn't thought you'd be susceptible to this sort of thing, but I understand. So, no, honey, I don't hate you."

Again, there was a painful silence. She _wanted_ to believe him. He was her dad; he _couldn't_ hate her. He had raised her, loved her, stuck by her through all of trials that befell them. So, she _did_ believe him. But she didn't know what to say back to him.

And then, Ranka cleared his throat. "But somehow, I don't think that was all you wanted to talk about. What is it?"

Haruhi was relieved to be able to say something to him. "Ah, you're right, Dad. Um, well, since Takashi and I are getting married, he invited me to move in with him. I'd really like to."

"Hmmm…" was all Ranka had said.

Once again, there was silence. Haruhi felt the need to try to give more of an argument. "Both of us think it would be for the best. He'd be able to take me to any appointments I'd need to go to, and he'd be able to help me out pretty easily with anything I need."

"You're actually openly acknowledging his help? You, Miss Independence?" Ranka gave a soft huff of a laugh. "If he's gotten you to do so, then he really is special. I always knew this day would come. It's just come a lot sooner than I thought, and under different circumstances. I wasn't prepared. But you always knew who and what you are and what you want. If this is truly what you want, then I support you."

Haruhi could only sniff around the lump in her throat as the tears poured down. Finally, she choked out, "Thanks, Daddy, so much. It really means a lot to me." She instantly wished she was in front of him rather than talking to him over the phone. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms as she hadn't done since she was a very little girl. Tears dripped down her cheeks once again. She pushed a little closer to Mori when he rubbed her back. She pulled away after a second or two. She sniffed to clear her nose enough to be able to talk. "So, umm, I guess I need to come by and pick up my stuff."

"How about this," Ranka offered. "Why don't you come tomorrow and spend the night. I'll help you pack up. I miss my little girl. I want to spend some time with you before you leave completely."

She rolled her eyes. "_Dad._ I'm not a little girl. I haven't been for a long time." _Even if I feel like one right now._

"No, sweetheart. You'll always be my little girl. And now you're leaving me," Ranka argued.

She gave a slight huff at his ridiculousness, but a smile still appeared on her face. "Dad, I'll still see you. I'm not disappearing; I'm still in the same city. You know I'll come visit. But anyways, I'll have to come by tomorrow evening. Everyone's meeting tomorrow morning for our get-together, and we'll probably hang out for a while."

"Humph," she heard from the other end. She could practically _see_ the pout on her dad's face. "Can't you get out of that?" he begged.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I can't. We planned it a while back, and I can't get out of it without telling everyone. I'm just not ready to do that yet." She really did feel bad about the situation, but she also really wasn't ready. "But I'll try to leave as soon as possible. Okay?"

Mori leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I'll help you."

Haruhi flashed him a grateful smile. She mouthed, '_Thank you_', to him.

Ranka sighed. "I guess that's the best I'll get. I'll get some boxes ready for when you show up, and after your classes on Monday, I'll help you take them over to Mori-kun's apartment."

Haruhi quickly glanced up at Mori, getting a nod of support in return. "Thanks, Dad, for everything." She really was grateful and couldn't say it enough. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Alright, honey. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye." Haruhi sighed as she hung up the phone. Over all, she felt much better after talking with her father. She found herself actually looking forward to seeing him again. She looked up at Mori with a smile. "I take it you heard all of that?"

"Mmmhmm," he agreed and kissed her forehead. "I'll take you there straight from Tamaki's. We'll see if we can't leave early."

Haruhi's smile softened. "Thanks. You help me so much. I really appreciate it." She leaned up and gave him a loving but quick kiss. "I need to get back to the food."

Mori chuckled and released her. She quickly returned to the stove, finishing the food.

After supper, they ended up back on the couch and just relaxed with each other. By the time they were ready to sleep, Haruhi actually felt more stable. She hadn't realized just how much stress she had been under until it had gone away. And she had Mori to thank for it. He had been there supporting her through all of it. She turned over in his arms to look at him in wonder at just how lucky she was to find such an amazing man.

And proceeded to show him just how much she appreciated him.

…

Mori and Haruhi escaped the clutches of everyone else easily the next day. Kyouya gave his announcement early, and since it was fantastic news for him and Tamaki, everyone went a little hyper in celebration. By mid-afternoon, bodies were starting to droop, and Mori and Haruhi were able to leave without any complaints from the others.

When they arrived at her dad's place, Ranka was quite happy at how early they had shown up. "I thought they'd keep you until late. This is great!" He was gushing at them. Haruhi was please to see that he was back to normal. "Oh, come in, come in, you two," he said as he ushered them into the apartment. "Mori-kun, you'll stay for supper, right?"

Mori nodded his head. "Thank you, Ranka-san."

Ranka waived his words away. "No, no, my boy. You're about to be family. You're quite welcome."

Haruhi suddenly frowned, catching a whiff of something not quite right. "Um, Dad? What are you cooking?"

Ranka lit up. "Oh I wanted to go all out for you tonight. I whipped up something special."

A small knot of dread started forming in her stomach. "I'm just going to go check on it real quick."

"Oh, honey, don't worry. I've got it all planned out," Ranka twittered.

Haruhi didn't let him say anything else. She ran for the kitchen. She found a large covered pot on the stove, bubbling away. Upon lifting the lid, she found the source of the unsettling smell. It was a stew that was a New England favorite that she had come to love during her year in Boston. She gave it a quick stir and found that the stew had burnt to the bottom. She quickly turned off the stove. "How long has this been sitting here?"

"About an hour. I followed the recipe, honey. Don't worry," Ranka repeated nonchalantly.

"Didn't the recipe say you had to lower the heat and stir it once in a while?" She loved her dad, but right now she was questioning whether he would survive living alone. Granted, he _could_ cook, but he had problems with intricate or foreign dishes. She worried that he might try these on his own again.

Ranka came in. "I don't believe so. Why?"

Haruhi huffed in frustration. "Because it's now burnt to the bottom of the pot. I'm sorry, Dad. I know you tried, but it's inedible. It smells like char, and it'll taste like it, too." However, she didn't want to make him feel bad. She gave him a hug. "Thanks for trying, though. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, no. I'm so sorry, honey. I wanted to make something special for you." He looked completely crestfallen.

"Well, how about we make something together? Just like the old days." She smiled at him, hoping to cheer him up.

Ranka huffed, but then smiled back. "Alright, honey. Let me just dump this out for the cat."

Haruhi smiled and stood aside as he grabbed the pot and stepped outside.

Mori looked confused. "Cat?"

Haruhi giggled. "No, we don't actually have a cat, but the neighborhood adopted a stray and set up a place for him out by the dumpsters. He's got a shelter and food and water dishes there. He comes and goes as he likes, but we all keep an eye out for him. One of the neighbors tried to bring him inside, once, you know, got him his shots and all that. But as soon as he was let loose, he pitched a royal fit. He tore open a window screen, got outside, and refused to come near anyone for a couple of weeks. So we leave him alone, and he seems happy. And he certainly earns his keep. He keeps all the rats out of the area."

Mori smiled. "Ah."

Ranka quickly returned and set the pot to soak. "Alright, honey. What would you like to make?"

…

As they sat around the table eating, Ranka asked about the other hosts. Haruhi filled him in on Hikaru's crush and frustrations regarding said crush, and Mori told him about Honey's distracted attention and the affects. Ranka laughed so hard, Mori and Haruhi started laughing with him.

Haruhi couldn't sit still as she thought about Kyouya and Tamaki's big announcement. She was so excited for her friends that she had to share the news. "Oh and guess what, Dad."

"What?" he asked, humoring her.

"Kyouya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai are the heirs for their companies. Well, Tamaki-senpai was officially accepted, but Kyouya-senpai just kinda took over." Haruhi beamed as she said this. She was so proud of them.

Ranka was suitably impressed. "Wow. That's great. How did it happen?"

"Do you remember that project Tamaki-senpai has been working on?" At Ranka's nod, she continued. "Well, it was a secret joint project with Kyouya. I don't know all the details, but apparently, because of the project, they've made themselves indispensible to their companies. And by popular demand from their respective boards, they've been named heirs."

"Kyouya basically forced Ootori-san's hand in the matter," Mori added. "However, I don't think Ootori-san minds too much; it's a show of power that he would respect."

Haruhi made a wry face. "The only thing is Kyouya-senpai was a little too gleeful imagining the looks on Yuuichi-san and Akito-san's faces when they find out. He's a little too happy about pulling the company out from under his brothers."

Mori gave a thoughtful hum. "Well, it's something that he's been told since he was young that he'd never achieve. He has little else that stimulates him."

Haruhi suddenly felt as if the floor had dropped beneath her. "He has us," she said, stricken.

Mori squeezed her hand and smiled reassuringly. "True, he has us."

"And if you and your friends keep him close, hopefully he won't come to any harm, and, perhaps, one day, he'll open up to new things," Ranka interjected.

"I hope so," Haruhi said.

"We'll make sure nothing happens to him," Mori vowed.

Ranka gave them a moment before completely changing the subject. "So, Haruhi. You're two months pregnant. Are you having any symptoms yet? You know, morning sickness, mood swings, stuff like that."

Haruhi shook her head. "No, not really." She stopped when she heard Mori cough lightly. She glanced at him, confused. "What? Well, other than fainting, I haven't."

A wide smile had grown across Mori's lips. "Haruhi, you've been having mood swings."

She was shocked. "No, I haven't."

Now, Mori was chuckling. "Yes, you have. You've been excessively worrying and as soon as it's resolved, it's like you never had a worry."

Haruhi opened her mouth to refute it, but stopped as she thought about how she had been behaving. She could feel her cheeks heat up. She looked back down at the table.

Mori leaned over and kissed her on her cheek. "Don't worry. I'm fine with it."

Haruhi felt a little flustered, but happy at the same time. She glanced at her dad, worried that he'd pull a 'girly' move on them.

But apparently, Ranka got caught up on her first statement. He was frowning. "You've been fainting?"

Haruhi nodded. "I've already talked with the doctor about it. He said that it happens in some women from stress and that I should try to limit the amount that I'm under."

Ranka's face fell. "I'm so sorry, honey, for what I put you through."

"It's okay. I understand it was a shock to you, too. Please, don't be upset." She looked to Mori for help.

"Don't worry, Ranka-san. I've been helping her out," he also reassured.

Haruhi got up and gave Ranka a hug. After a moment of holding her tightly, he patted her back and let her sit back down. He brushed some tears from his eyes before he could speak again. "Okay, so you need to limit your stresses. So, how are you going to deal with school?"

"Well, I was thinking of finishing this semester on campus and taking next semester off. After that, I'm not sure, but I was hoping that I'd be able to make up the classes I'd be missing during the summer and continuing the normal schedule from there. I know it'll be harder with having a baby, but I think we can make it work."

Mori held her eyes as he said, "I'll make sure you get your degree. We'll work it out somehow."

Haruhi smiled shyly. "Thanks," she said softly. Their eyes stayed locked as they smiled at each other until Ranka cleared his throat. Haruhi blushed and glanced at her dad before dropping her eyes.

Ranka squealed. "Oh, you two are just so cute!"

Haruhi winced. She had known it was going to happen sooner or later.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Here it is. The last chapter of 'Life Unexpectedly Changes'. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. This story has taken me a year to write, so seeing it here and having all your support has meant a lot to me. Thank you.

Some of you have mentioned continuing the story, of wanting to see other character's reactions, and just plain what happens next. I decided to end it here because it's a natural conclusion to the story arc, following proper story layout. I hope you understand and still like my story.

So, without further ado, the finale.

* * *

Haruhi decided not to say anything to her friends for another two weeks. During that time, she had officially moved in with Mori, complete with all the necessary notifications to her school. They made sure not to mention that she was pregnant. Until their friends were told, they weren't going to tell anyone else.

Mori's mother was quite supportive, offering all kinds of help and advice. She took Haruhi clothes shopping one day. Another, she brought over nursery catalogues. She gave Haruhi some wedding ideas. Even if Haruhi wasn't comfortable with some of her ideas, she appreciated the effort.

Kazumi even offered for them move into the guest suite at their house, as it would give them more room and they would have help with the baby. The suite was almost a two-bedroom apartment. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a sitting area. It just didn't have a kitchen or dining room. They would be eating with the rest of the family. She argued that it would give Haruhi a chance to study properly for school since she'd have someone to help with the baby and she wouldn't have to cook.

They were still considering it.

Two days before they were going to make the announcement, Mori told Honey. Haruhi could have sworn she heard his squeal across town, although Mori didn't say much more than they had his full support and approval. His grin said it all.

The day finally came when they decided to tell the rest of their friends. Since Honey and Kyouya already knew, they were there to provide emotional back-up for Haruhi and Mori. The twins had insisted everyone meet at their place. They said that since their parents were doing a tour of Europe with Ageha while she was still young and they were supposedly old enough to not require supervision, any noise rattled and echoed far too much in the house. They wanted company.

After the snacks and drinks were set out, everyone settled in, just lightly chatting with each other. Haruhi was nervous. She didn't know how to broach the subject.

Fortunately, Hikaru inadvertently helped her out. "Hey, Haruhi. I tried calling you last night but you weren't answering your phone. I called your house phone, but your dad said we needed to call your cell phone. How come?"

Haruhi blushed a little. She managed not to look at Mori. They had been… _busy_ with each other last night and she didn't know Hikaru had called until this morning. But she wasn't about to explain that. However, it gave her a good opening. "Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about." She looked around the room, noticing she had everyone's attention. The twins and Reiko looked curious, and Kyouya, Ayame, and Honey looked supportive. But Tamaki had a frown on his face. She took a deep breath. "I've moved in with Takashi." She then waited for the explosion.

"What?!" Tamaki shouted, standing up. "You can't do that! You're a young lady; it's completely unseemly to move in with a boy! Even if he _is_ your boyfriend, it's not right!"

Mori took the opportunity to make their announcement. "Actually, she's my fiancée. I asked her to marry me, and she agreed."

Tamaki collapsed back in his chair, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "What?" he gasped.

Hikaru was also silent, but he didn't seem to be in quite as much shock.

Kaoru came to her rescue. "You and Mori-senpai are getting married?" he asked Haruhi directly.

Haruhi nodded her head.

Honey tried to help. "Isn't it great?" he chirped.

"But – " Tamaki tried saying something, but couldn't complete his thought. Haruhi noticed he wasn't taking it well. She wasn't looking forward to the rest of what they needed to tell everyone.

"Wait, you already knew? When did you find out, Honey-senpai?" Hikaru asked, distracting her a little from Tamaki.

"Takashi told me two days ago," he said.

"But – " Tamaki repeated, still looking lost.

Kaoru looked at Haruhi and Mori. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

Mori threaded his fingers with Haruhi's. "Yes, really. We talked about it and it's what we want."

Kaoru seemed to get some semblance of sense back. "Well, congratulations, but isn't this a little sudden?"

Haruhi winced internally. This was the part that she really didn't want to go through. She shook her head to Kaoru's question. "We love each other, and…" She couldn't finish. She looked at Mori for help. She really couldn't say the words.

Mori wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close as if to protect her. "We love each other. Very much. This is the right time for us to get married – " but he never got to finish.

Tamaki had interrupted. "No! This _isn't_ the right time to get married! You both haven't even finished college! Haruhi, you've just barely _started_ college!"

As Tamaki took a breath, Haruhi took the opportunity to try to calm Tamaki down. "We'll still finish college. Don't worry, we'll still get our degrees. It's just – "

But Tamaki interrupted again. "No, things will come up! You'll start having babies, and then you'll _never_ finish your degree, Haruhi. Haruhi, please think about this. You've always wanted to be a lawyer, like your mother. Now how will you?"

Haruhi was stunned that Tamaki had so little faith in her. "Actually, I kind of _am_ following her footsteps. She and Dad got married because she was pregnant with me." She hesitated a moment at seeing the stunned and suspicious looks on several faces. She gathered her courage, clutched Mori's hand, and took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, too."

Tamaki looked shocked. Hell, _everyone_, looked shocked. Except Kyouya and Honey. They both gave her a look that said they were going to give her as much support as they could. She gave them a brief smile over the cacophony that erupted. She heard Honey vocal support. "Haru-chan's gonna have a baby!" And the twins' shouts of surprise. "No way!" But from Ayame and Reiko, she got a couple of quiet, "Congratulations".

Finally, Tamaki seemed able to react. He bolted up from his seat, instantly catching everyone's attention. He stared at the couple in horror. "How could you?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. "How could you do such a thing?"

Haruhi looked at him beseechingly, hoping he'd understand. He was really stressing her out from his reactions. "Senpai – "

Tamaki cut her off. "No!" he shouted. "You're supposed to wait until _after_ marriage! Now – now you'll have so much misery!"

Kyouya tried his best to defuse him. "Tamaki, calm down. They will be okay. They will manage and they will be happy."

But Tamaki wasn't listening. He didn't give _any_ indication that he heard Kyouya. "You'll be torn apart and your families will cast you out! Your baby won't have anything!"

Haruhi was getting really scared of him. She knew he had issues with fantasies, but this was extreme even for him!

Mori held her closer and frowned at Tamaki. Haruhi could tell he didn't like the way Tamaki was behaving. "Tamaki!" he shouted, trying to snap him out of it. And then, trying for a calmer tone, he said, "We already have our families' support. They're helping us. No one is casting us out."

At least this time, it seemed he heard, but he only shook his head. He still focused on Haruhi. "No! It doesn't work that way! Haruhi, you're ruined! Your baby's ruined! You're – " He cut himself off.

Haruhi could only look on in horror as her friend slowly lost it. He shook his head again, only this time it didn't stop. He slowly backed away from them. Mori and Kyouya stood up – Haruhi wasn't sure if it was to comfort him or to keep him from running – but it didn't matter. When he saw the movement, he bolted.

She was extremely distressed over Tamaki's behavior and couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. She started to feel faint as she watched Kyouya run after him with Mori close behind. _What just happened with Tamaki?_ Her vision started going black. She tried calling for Mori. "Taka – Ta – "

"Haru-chan!" she heard. She felt arms catch her as she started to fall over. "Takashi!" the same voice shouted again.

Then she heard Mori's voice. "Hikaru! Kaoru! Go help Kyouya!" She felt some arms release her and some more take hold of her. Slowly, her vision came back, but the roaring came with it. She felt Mori cradling her, and finally her hearing came back. She heard Mori whispering to her. "Calm down, everything will be fine."

She bawled her eyes out. "Why?" she cried. She wasn't quite sure what she meant. All she knew was that she was afraid for her friend and she had put him in that state.

Mori rocked her in his arms. "I don't know. But Kyouya went after him. Kyouya will help him; you'll see." He fished a handkerchief out and handed it to her.

It took several minutes for Haruhi to stop crying. But the others still hadn't come back. Haruhi was getting more worried the longer it took. Honey, Reiko, and Ayame waited with them for _someone_ to return. They all sat in tense silence, the only movement was Mori handing Haruhi some snacks and a glass of juice.

Finally, they heard footsteps coming back. Soon, Hikaru and Kaoru walked in. _Only_ Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Where are Kyouya and Tamaki?" Ayame asked for everyone.

They shook their heads. Hikaru looked shaken and Kaoru had tears in his eyes. Hikaru explained. "We lost them. We saw them round the corner into the foyer but when we got there, they were gone. We looked everywhere we could think of but we couldn't find them."

After a pause, Kaoru said, "We decided to come back here. We hoped they might have come back, too." Everyone else shook their heads. Hikaru and Kaoru sat down to wait with everyone. Kaoru looked over at Haruhi. "How are you doing?"

"I'm hanging in there," she replied. It was the only thing she could reply with. She really wasn't feeling all that great but she didn't want to worry her friends. The sugar and protein were helping her slowly.

Honey also looked at her. "What happened, Haru-chan? Why'd you faint?"

She blushed at the scrutiny from everyone. She shifted uncomfortably. "Umm, well, the doctor said it happens when I have a lot of stress. He said that it happens to some women when they're pregnant."

Mori kissed the top of her head. "He also said you need to limit the amount of stress you're exposed to or it could be bad for the baby."

Surprisingly, Ayame spoke up for her. "I don't think she expected Tamaki to react this way. I don't think _any_ of us did." Suddenly, her phone rang. She looked at the ID and quickly answered. "Kyouya, are you alright? – Yes. – No, I understand. – I'll tell them. – Alright, I'll see you later. 'Bye." She hung up the phone and looked at everyone else. "Kyouya said he found Tamaki, but that he was still distraught. He has gone home with Tamaki to try to help him."

Haruhi felt awful. "Oh, god." The tears started again. Mori took the plate from her shaking hands and held her tightly as she whimpered.

"Poor, Tama-chan," she heard Honey say.

Then she heard Hikaru. "Yeah, I mean, I knew he had a bad time growing up, but I didn't think he had _this_ kind of trauma."

Haruhi's dying sniffles were still loud in the silence. They sat for a while, no one wanting to leave but unable to say anything. Finally, Hikaru seemed unable to stand the quiet anymore, and broke it, asking, "So, when are you going to get married? Are you going to wait until after the baby's born?"

Haruhi was grateful for the change in subject. She glanced at Mori. This was something that they'd talked about off and on. Mori was of two minds; on the one hand, he didn't want to have an illegitimate child, but on the other, he didn't want to put Haruhi through the additional stress of planning a wedding. However, if they were to have a wedding before the baby was born, he wanted to have it before she started showing, which meant it had to happen _soon_. Haruhi didn't mind having a wedding before the baby was born, but she really only wanted a simple one with just their close family and friends. She didn't want anything near the pomp and circumstance that Kyouya's wedding had been. Mori agreed with her desires, but he wasn't sure his family's position in society would allow that, not to mention that his mother had been pushing for a big wedding. They had even come close to having a fight over it yesterday.

And since Haruhi felt that Mori was the one who was putting limits on it, she felt _he_ should be the one to answer Hikaru's question. When he didn't, she gave him a pointed glare. Mori gave a soft sigh and turned to Hikaru. "We've been discussing it." He gave her a soft glance before continuing. "We'd like to have a small, private event. We're private people; we don't want to have a 'society' wedding. If we can have that, then we'd like to do it soon, before she starts showing."

Honey frowned when he heard that. He sat quite still on the couch, seeming to think it over. Of all of them, he would have the best idea of the familial and societal expectations they were facing. However, the twins didn't seem care. They were lost in their own world, discussing design ideas and how fast they could be accomplished.

Ayame leaned closer to Haruhi and Mori. "I could recommend my wedding planner. With my mother constantly changing her mind, Iwasaki-san was quite adept at completing the impossible without advanced notice."

Haruhi was surprised that she had actually offered to help. She wasn't sure what to say, since she and Mori were still discussing things. However, Mori spoke up first, surprising Haruhi even more. "This person would have to be capable of putting it together with little input from Haruhi and keep my mother from taking over. Mother offered to help, but she is partial to a more extravagant wedding that we don't want."

"I wouldn't have recommended her otherwise, Mori-senpai," Ayame replied. "But I understand why you asked. I really didn't want to deal with the hassle of planning my wedding on top of everything else, so I agreed to let my mother do so. However, I did have to state that clearly to Iwasaki-san before she would consult with my mother. She is quite competent."

Mori nodded.

Then, Honey finally joined in the conversation. "I don't blame you two for wanting a quiet wedding." He took Reiko's hand with a small smile. "Rei-chan and I have a similar problem. We'd really like a more casual, fun wedding, something that reflects both of us. However, Father refuses to let us out of a 'society' wedding. But for you guys, how about this? I know Uncle Akira respects the old traditions, so how about you two have a traditional Shinto wedding and a small reception after. The ceremony is pretty simple so I think it might suit what you want, and it would lead right into limiting the number of people at your reception. Then, for your first anniversary, you could throw a society party to acknowledge it and have the kind of thing Aunt Kazumi wants."

Everyone turned to Haruhi and Mori expectantly, even Hikaru and Kaoru, quieting long enough to hear their response. The couple looked at each other, trying to see how the other felt about the idea. Personally, Haruhi thought that would be a compromise she could do. While she wasn't particularly religious, she did follow some of the Shinto practices, and it was the same for Mori. The wedding style was one they had discussed before, and while they liked it, Mori had said that his parents would need some sort of larger affair. Haruhi thought this would give them that. She hesitantly nodded.

Mori smiled at her and then turned to Honey. "We'll have to talk about it more later, but that sounds like a good idea. Thank you, Mitsukuni." He turned to Ayame. "You and Kyouya had a Western wedding. Does Iwasaki-san also plan Shinto weddings?"

"I believe she does. It was something she had asked us when Kyouya and I first met her," she replied.

"Then, could you please email us Iwasaki-san's information? It wouldn't hurt to at least meet her."

Ayame gave them a smile. "Of course."

…

Haruhi leaned back in Mori's seat as he drove them home. She smiled as she thought about that. _How quickly Takashi's apartment has turned into my home as well._ She was a little surprised that her body was achy. Although, considering the day's events, she shouldn't be. She sighed as she wished for a large soaking tub. Oh, well. It wouldn't be a good idea anyway since she was pregnant.

"Are you okay?" Mori asked suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She turned to gaze at him, smiling softly. She loved how caring he was. "I'm fine. Just wishing for something I can't have."

He gave her a quick glance. "What is it?"

Her smile turned a little wry. "Ah, not much. Just wishing I could soak in some hot water. I'm a little achy."

He reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Well, that's not something I can get for you. But I can give you a massage after a hot shower when we get home."

She gave him a squeeze in return. "That would be wonderful." _He really is so sweet to me._ And because she couldn't get over that, she said, "Have I told you I love you?"

He turned to her with a warm smile. "Every day. I love you, too."

She closed her eyes, trying to relax, but her thoughts kept returning to Tamaki and his outburst. She shook her head at her thoughts. She really didn't want to upset herself even more. She had to trust that Kyouya would help him out. She purposefully turned her mind to Honey's idea for their wedding. When Mori asked what she was thinking about, she replied. "About Honey-senpai's suggestion. Do you think your mother would let us do that? We hadn't thought of doing an anniversary celebration when we talked about it before."

Mori was silent for a good while. Haruhi knew he was just thinking it over and gave him all the time he needed. Shortly before they arrived home, he finally replied. "I believe it satisfies everything everyone would want. I understand why my parents want a large wedding, although it _is_ my mother who wants it more. They want to keep people from dismissing us, people like Kyouya's father. By having these types of events, those that honestly support us and those that just can't afford to lose our good will will force the others to acknowledge us. They will have to attend or lose some of their social standing. And at least at our events, they will have to keep a civil tongue. They are not restricted at ones hosted by someone else. You saw what happened at Kyouya's wedding. There are others out there who are the same.

"But in addition to that, with our wedding, my parents want to show that they support me and my choice of bride, that they fully back my position as heir, and that _I_ am their peer also, not just my parents. Whether or not I act as such most of the time. However, considering your pregnancy, your reactions to stress, and our studies, I believe we need to compromise on the wedding for yours and the baby's health, not to mention our own preferences. I think my mother will agree it's for the best."

They had pulled up by this point, and Mori gave Haruhi time to think over what he said as he led her inside. As they were taking off their shoes, Haruhi replied. "I think I actually like the plan. Having an anniversary celebration wouldn't be as bad as the initial wedding." She paused and looked up at Mori. He gave her a soft smile and held his hand out to her. When she took it, he pulled her in to his embrace. It felt so good, so right, to be in his arms. She gave a soft sigh, and said quietly, "Alright, I think we've decided what we want. So, when are we going to talk to your parents?"

She felt him nuzzle the top of her head. "We can go over tomorrow morning." She got a kiss on her head and then felt him pull away a little. She looked up at him. "So how about that shower and massage?" he asked, smiling.

She grinned at him. "Yes, definitely." She reached up and pecked him on the lips. "Thank you," she said and turned to get her stuff.

The shower started the relaxing of her muscles, and Mori's massage did the rest. However, the massage turned into something much more sensual. After he got her totally relaxed, he started kissing up her body, following his hands. This lead to him kissing areas that hadn't gotten, or initially _needed_, massaging. By the time they were ready for sleep, Haruhi was _much_ more relaxed than from Mori's simple massage. And from Mori's soft sigh, she figured he was just as relaxed.

Haruhi fell asleep with a smile on her face, loving this man with his arms wrapped around her with all her heart.

…

It took some persuading, but eventually Mori's mother agreed to the compromise. Haruhi had ended up agreeing to let Kazumi plan the anniversary celebration, but Haruhi was going to be learning how to do so at the same time. Haruhi didn't mind since most of it would be done while she was out of school; it would give her something else to concentrate on than just her baby. Kazumi explained that many of their peers needed the invitations well in advance to work into their schedules.

Haruhi was just happy that everything was going as well as it was. Tamaki seemed to be taking things better. She was having an easy time in her classes since they were freshman level. Her baby was growing normally, and they even found out the sex, a little girl. She and Mori had told Kyouya, but no one else; he agreed to keep the information to himself. Then there was their wedding, which was progressing smoothly. She and Mori had met with Iwasaki and hired her to plan their wedding. Their friends had volunteered their services to help get it set up so quickly.

The only downfall was when the press found out she was expecting, but even then, there was a lot less fuss made than she thought there would be. Mori told her that was his family and Kyouya's influence. She was just glad not to have a lot of pressure put on her.

…

Finally, the day of her wedding arrived. They were getting married in a shrine near the Morinozuka's home, where they were having the reception. Akira had offered it when he heard just how much Haruhi loved their garden. The wedding party was getting ready at the Morinozuka's. Haruhi was in the guest room where they would soon move, and Mori was in his old room.

The twins had provided the clothes for everyone, and currently were with her, trying to get everything settled perfectly on her. However, Haruhi was extremely nervous. She couldn't sit still. She got up and started pacing.

Kaoru looked over at Hikaru, who was getting frustrated. He knew why; hell, he also felt it. "Haruhi, you need to calm down. We can't get you ready if you keep moving."

Haruhi glared at them. "Well, _you're_ not the ones getting married. How would you feel right now?"

Hikaru shrugged his shoulders. "Probably the same. But I know if we don't get you ready, you're going to feel even worse. You don't want to show up looking less than your best, do you?"

Haruhi suddenly felt overwhelmed. She couldn't stop the tears forming. "What? Oh, god. What if I don't look right? What if I mess it up? What if I – "

Kaoru threw his arms around her. "Damn it, Hikaru." He made shushing noises to her. "There, there, Haruhi. You'll be fine. We're going to get you looking perfect. You're _the_ Ouran Scholarship Student. You're one of the few ever who have the highest GPA possible. You won't mess anything up. I know you."

Haruhi latched onto Kaoru and couldn't let go. "You really think so?"

She felt a hand pet her head and heard Hikaru say, "Absolutely. I didn't mean to make you think otherwise. You know we'll make you look perfect, right? We just need a chance to do it. Can you give us that?"

She sniffed, nodded her head, and slowly peeled herself off Kaoru. "Sorry, guys."

Kaoru shrugged it off. "Nah. No problem. We know you're nervous and pregnant. Not a good combination."

Now she was glaring again. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Hikaru laughed and said mockingly, "Damn it, Kaoru." But when he turned to her, he was more sincere. "Hey, just ignore him. Come on. Sit back down so we can get everything set."

Haruhi huffed and sat down with a plop. As she felt them pluck and twitch her outfit, she couldn't help the giggles that started. It got worse when they stood symmetrically with their arms crossed, obviously wondering what was up with her. "Nervous and pregnant?" she giggled. "Don't you know_ all_ women are nervous when they're pregnant?" She couldn't help the laughter.

The twins looked at each other and started laughing with her. They all looked up when they heard a knock on the door.

It was Kazumi. "I heard all the laughter and had to see what was up."

That set Haruhi giggling again. Hikaru just huffed with a smile, so that left Kaoru to answer. "I made a statement about Haruhi being nervous _and_ pregnant."

Kazumi smiled and said, "All women are nervous when their pregnant."

That set Haruhi off even more. Now she was laughing so hard, she had to clutch her stomach. "That's – that's what I – what I said!"

That set everyone to laughing. Eventually, Kazumi reminded them that there was only fifteen minutes before they had to leave. That set Hikaru and Kaoru into a rush to get everything settled.

With five minutes to go, Haruhi was released. As she entered the entranceway, her eyes went straight to Mori. _God, he looks so handsome. I hope I look just as good as he does. Although, with the way he's looking at me, I think he likes it._ She smiled shyly at him. She walked over when he held out his hand to her.

"Ready?" he asked quietly.

She nodded her head. Suddenly, there was a rush of bodies as they piled into the cars and headed out.

Haruhi couldn't help but think, _This is it. I'm about to become a Morinozuka. Am I ready?_ She looked at her dad, who gave her a supportive smile. She beamed back at him. _I am ready._

…

She was glad she had let her friends help with the reception. They made her wedding fun and almost stress-free. It was part of their present to her and she loved them for it.

She sat back in her chair, laughing at the antics her friends were pulling at the karaoke machine. Even Mori was chuckling. They were trying to convince Kyouya to give it a try, even going so far as to try to get Ayame to help. It wasn't working, but Tamaki especially wasn't giving up. She saw Tamaki lean over to say something in his ear that finally seemed to make Kyouya give up. She sat up as she saw Kyouya walk over, select a song, and take the microphone. She smiled as he sang. He really did have a good voice.

Fortunately, they all knew better than to try to get her to sing. They _still_ pick on her from the incident at the Lobelia Academy. _Hey, at least it gets me out of making a fool of myself in front of everyone._ She looked over at Mori. He had a good voice, too, which he showed off when Tamaki had joined forces with Honey to get him to sing. She leaned over to Mori to whisper in his ear. "I'm going to have to get you to sing for me again sometime. I really liked it."

Mori turned to her and whispered in reply. "How much did you like it? Will we have to be alone?"

The heat in his eyes made her realize that he knew what his voice did to her. "Oh, definitely. And I will have to show you just how much I like it." That made him pull her into a kiss. _How_ Haruhi wished they were alone right now. But since they weren't, the kiss wasn't too passionate. "Okay, we're going to _have_ to leave soon, Husband."

Mori chuckled as he pulled back. "As soon as you like, Wife."

She smiled at him. Her husband. She knew they were going to leave soon anyway. They still had to catch the plane for the mini-honeymoon. Since they were still both in school, they were using a four-day weekend to have their wedding and honeymoon. They knew that when the semester ended, the madness would start in earnest as they prepared for the baby. So they would take what time they had now to enjoy being together, just the two of them. Soon, it would be three, and probably even more eventually, as they spent the rest of their lives together.

And she knew, come what may, he would always be there for her, loving her and supporting her.

Always.


End file.
